What really causes cancer?

Many people assume that if a close family member has had cancer, they are doomed to follow in their footsteps. This simply isn’t the case for every individual. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Inherited genetic mutations play a major role in about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers.”1 That means nine out of 10 cancer cases aren’t genetic.

Gene expression can be modified by several lifestyle factors we can control. Changing your diet and exercise habits, reducing stress levels, bolstering health through nutritional supplements, getting enough sleep and detoxifying from environmental pollutants can go a long way toward preventing cancer in the first place. 

That said, let us take a closer look at the three main causes of cancer—and what you can do to avoid them. 

The main causes 

If we knew the exact cause of cancer, we would likely be much closer to finding a cure. However, an abundance of scientific research is pointing us in the right direction. 

By now, almost everyone is aware that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. However, most people do not realize that more than 30 different cancer risk factors have been identified. These risk factors can be grouped into three major categories: toxins, infections (bugs) and biological factors. 

According to the medical research company American Medical Research, LLC, toxins are responsible for 70–75 percent of all cancers. Viruses and other infections cause 20–25 percent, and electromagnetic pollution (radiation) and genetics are thought to cause less than 5 percent of all cancers.2

Though the cause may be different, these factors all similarly disrupt the body, creating oxidative stress and increasing inflammation. This process damages the genetic material inside cells (RNA and DNA) and wreaks havoc on the cells’ mitochondria. 

Once these energy-producing cellular furnaces are compromised, cells can no longer operate efficiently to produce energy. The result is a process called glycolysis, which uses sugar as an energy source. This inefficient method of energy production leads to organs and body systems not functioning properly, further DNA damage and, ultimately, more fuel for cancer cells. 

Toxins

One of the biggest triggers for cellular mutations and DNA damage is environmental toxins. There are the “usual suspects” such as tobacco and smoking, damaging UVA/UVB sunlight that causes sunburns and damages the epidermal layers of the skin, and mercury toxicity from sources like contaminated fish and amalgam dental fillings. 

But other lesser-known environmental toxins are also problematic. 

Electromagnetic fields created by cell phones, Wi-Fi, microwave towers, etc., can cause cellular mutations. 

Geopathic stress, energies produced by underground streams, cavitations and other geological features, is also a factor that studies suggest may be harmful to the body. 

Food additives such as artificial sweeteners, food coloring, dyes and others that preserve flavor and enhance the taste and appearance of foods can increase cancer risk. 

Foci infections, especially dental infections, are also problematic. These small, localized pockets of infection are often missed in routine lab tests, yet they can produce toxins and create inflammation that can lead to cancer down the road. 

Industrial toxins such as ammonia, chlorine and fluoride are abundant in the air, food and water supply and can create a toxic buildup in the body. 

Ionizing radiation from X-rays and CT scans also increases cancer risk. Irradiated food goes through a process intended to eliminate the organisms that cause foodborne illnesses and increase shelf life. However, this radiation also damages the body. Avoid these foods by shopping at farmers markets and growing your own fruits and vegetables. 

Nuclear radiation from power plant accidents has proven, disastrous effects. 

Pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables are increasingly worrisome. 

Polluted tap water can be full of pharmaceutical drugs, parasites, microbes, chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals tied to cancer. 

Xenoestrogens from plastics disrupt natural hormone cycles and mimic estrogen in the body. 

 “Sick building syndrome,” or the contamination of buildings by molds and other biotoxins, also continues to be flagged by research as a potential cause of cancer. 

I share these hidden environmental toxins not to scare people but to increase awareness and to note the importance of reducing the buildup of these potential cancer triggers. 

Infections

Did you know that certain infections have been directly linked to certain cancer types? In addition to being associated with cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to head and neck cancers. Epstein-Barr can cause leukemia, colitis is linked to colon cancer, hepatitis C is associated with liver cancer and herpes simplex 2 increases cancer risk overall. 

In addition to viruses and bacteria, other “bugs” such as parasites and fungi like molds, mildew and Candida all increase inflammation throughout the body and increase cancer risk. Work with an integrative physician to identify and rid your body of any underlying acute or chronic infections before they cause long-term problems. 

Biological factors

Lifestyle factors and many things within our control can influence whether a person develops cancer. 

Poor diet and nutritional deficiencies can easily be corrected by eating whole foods, cutting out processed, unhealthy and nutrient-depleted items, and filling in the gaps with high-quality nutritional supplements. 

Chronic stress plays a monumental role in cancer, and in fact, stress can even affect a tumor’s ability to grow and spread. (I will share more on this critical topic in a future article.) 

Low thyroid function caused by food allergies, heavy metal toxicity, autoimmune disorders and more is another risk factor. 

Intestinal toxicity, or damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is also a culprit. Harmful foods, antibiotics, pesticides and other contaminants eradicate beneficial flora and damage the mucosa of the intestines and stomach. 

Hormone therapies such as birth control pills, synthetic hormone replacement and hormone blockers can all disrupt the body’s natural hormones and cause imbalances that can potentially lead to cancer. Furthermore, rBST, found in dairy products and conventionally processed meat, can also create hormone imbalances. 

Compromised detoxification, which can result from bad circulation or scars, makes it difficult for the body to clear toxins, allowing for the buildup of problematic substances. 

An unbalanced cellular terrain can arise from toxins, acidic waste and nutritional deficiencies. Pathogens can grow when the body’s “internal terrain” is unbalanced. 

Cellular oxygen deficiency occurs when there is elevated acidity in the body. Cellular oxygen deficiency is exacerbated by lack of exercise, pollution and/or lack of carbon dioxide in the cells. 

How tumors form

The reality is that any cell in the body has the potential to become a cancer cell if it is compromised. When normal cells are damaged, they mutate and set out on a solo survival mission rather than working in tandem with other healthy cells for the good of the whole. 

Cancer cells grow rapidly, and this proliferation of “immortal” cells does not cooperate with the body’s natural cellular control mechanisms. The single cancerous cell multiplies into a mass of cancerous cells, and once this mass reaches a specific size, it seeks out a “nest” in a particular organ or set of tissues. That’s when an actual tumor forms. 

As the tumor grows, it saps more and more nutrients from the blood. Tumors are smart; they eventually create their own set of blood vessels via angiogenesis to help fuel their growth. Left undiscovered, cancer cells can break away from the original nest and find other places in the body to reside (metastasis). 

In a healthy person, rogue cancer cells would be detected and destroyed before they had a chance to multiply and create a tumor. However, if your immune system is compromised by the potential risk factors mentioned above, inflammation may already be causing your body to work overtime, allowing those cancer cells to replicate more easily. 

Furthermore, those tricky cancer cells disguise themselves in a fibrin coating, allowing them to hide from the immune system, stick together and form a colony. That colony attaches to smooth muscle and uses angiogenesis to create new blood vessels and feed itself. 

Tumors work hard and in multiple ways to fool the body and ensure their survival. Signals known as growth factors are sent from the tumor, which aid in its development and growth. Halting and preventing these and other disruptive transmissions are key to stopping tumor progression.  

Fortunately, tumor formation is a slow process. On average, it takes 10 to 12 years for a single cancerous cell to become a full-blown tumor. This is excellent news because it means you have time to reduce or eliminate the things causing cancer in the early stages. 

Controlling the “earthquake”

In my book, The Cancer Revolution (Da Capo Press, 2017), I describe cancer as “an uncontrollable growth of cells in the body that have gone wild and crazy because they are overwhelmed or overstressed.” These damaged and mutated cells multiply and behave abnormally, and it throws everything into chaos—much like an earthquake in the body. 

We can offer patients short-term solutions that make them feel better and start “rebuilding” in a matter of weeks. Therapies such as intravenous vitamin infusions, hyperbaric oxygen, changes to diet and exercise routines and spiritual guidance can be implemented from the get-go. Yet the complete healing and rebuilding phase can take months, even years, especially if only conventional methods are employed. 

Why integrative medicine is the best approach to cancer treatment

Integrative cancer treatment marries the best parts of conventional medicine with the most cutting-edge natural medicine available. This approach centers on treating the whole person by examining the root cause of the disease rather than just focusing on the tumor or cancer. 

Utilizing the best of both worlds and healing the entire person produces exceptional and hopeful outcomes. 

I realized early on that chemotherapy, radiation and surgery simply were not enough to successfully treat cancer. Though these modalities can be helpful, used alone or improperly, they can be costly, ineffective and dangerous. 

Worse still, they do not always work, and patients find themselves on a never-ending loop of doing the same things repeatedly and expecting a different outcome each time. It is the very definition of insanity! 

Failing to examine the whole person and instead becoming laser-focused on killing cancer in a particular body part neglects to address cancer as a disease of the whole person. Moreover, it is increasingly evident that the entire body needs to be healed from the inside out for cancer treatment to be successful. 

Integrative cancer treatment focuses on bolstering the immune system and restoring balance, or homeostasis, to the body. It offers gentler therapies that rarely cause the terrible side-effects of conventional cancer therapies. And these integrative treatments can be used alongside chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to offer an effective multipronged approach. 

Getting access to integrative cancer treatment

Even though the tools and therapies encompassing integrative cancer treatment are supported by thousands of research studies and countless doctors’ experiences with their own patients, you may not hear much about them in mainstream medicine. 

Most oncologists have been taught to toe the line and use only drugs and conventional therapies. You will not see integrative approaches advertised on television or supported by national marketing campaigns. 

Yet coupling homeopathy, nutrition, bioenergetic medicine, regenerative medicine, Chinese herbal medicine and anti-aging therapies with lifestyle modifications can have astounding results. 

Integrative physicians like me and the other skilled doctors at the Cancer Center for Healing understand the importance of supporting a person’s entire body before, during, and after cancer treatment. And we offer that support in a caring, patient, all-encompassing manner. 

To find a physician in your area well versed in integrative medicine, visit the Academy for Comprehensive Integrative Medicine at www.acimconnect.com or the American College for Advancement in Medicine at www.acam.org. 

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