Cancer Fighting Foods
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Precautions against Ovarian Cancer — It appears that more children a woman has, the lower is her risk of ovarian cancer and especially if she has a first child before age 30. Women should maintain a schedule of routine pelvic (internal) examination for two reasons. First, the benign and malignant ovarian tumours often have no symptoms at all and are caught as an incidental finding in a routine check-up. Second, even the benign tumours can possibly undergo malignant transformation, and catching this in time could make the difference whether a woman loses her fertility or even her life.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancers are the commonest cancers primarily in men in the Indian sub-continent. Inspite of the fact that oral cancers are completely preventable, the incidence is rising at an alarming speed. Oral cancers account for 40% of the cancers in men and include cancers of: oral cavity, i.e. tongue, gums, buccal mucosa (inner side of cheek) and palate; and pharynx (area behind the tonsils). Symptoms of Oral Cancers — The common symptoms of oral cancers include: painful nerve endings from oral erosion that worsen when eating because saliva stimulates secretion of saline; rough hard lumps; swelling in the mouth; white ridged bump on inside of cheeks where tobacco is chewed; discoloured areas on the gums, tongue, lining of the mouth; brown, flat freckle-like area at the insulted site; a sore throat which does not heal; tingling, burning or numbness in tongue or lip; painful, sensitive or loose teeth; difficulty in swallowing or talking; oral irritation from sharp edges of teeth, fillings, dentures, pipe stem. Causes of Oral Cancer — Eighty five percent of oral cancers are linked to tobacco use. People who use tobacco and alcohol (a lethal combination) are even at a greater risk for developing these cancers. The other risk factors are poor oral hygiene and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. Tobacco use includes smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes; chewing tobacco or gutka (pan masala); and inhaling snuff. Gutka is a powdery mix of arecanut (supari ), lime and tobacco. Arecanut triggers the synthesis of collagen, a tough, fibrous protein that stiffens the muscles of the mouth. Mouth size shrinks and in extreme cases a button size opening is left. Studies have shown that arecanut contains a substance which can transform ordinary human cells into uncontrolled cancer. Gutka users do not realise that they may be developing a serious disease called “submucous fibrosis”. It is an incurable, irreversible disease and is often a precursor for oral cancer, a disease that literally eats away your face and ends invariably in a slow, lingering death. Precautions against Oral Cancers — Avoid tobacco and its products and alcohol; maintain good oral hygiene; see your dentist regularly to smoothen rough edges of teeth and fillings; get antioxidant vitamins A, C and E from fruits and vegetables to improve immunity.
