Cancer is a response. It doesn’t simply pick a victim and attack; rather, it happens when certain factors promote it. We talk about cancer “risk” by compiling statistics of known cases, but no matter your cancer “risk”, you can always reduce it. One belief in the scientific community has been that cancer is a matter of “bad luck” or “random mutation”. Many scientists now argue against that theory, as evidence is mounting that other factors are involved.
The “random mutation” theory could be a very harmful idea, if it makes you think that you are powerless against cancer. You are not! When you realize that you can reduce your risk of cancer, and if you get a cancer diagnosis that you still have power over the disease, that is the life-giving message.
Setting the stage for cancer
Genetics change. The process of cell division with gene copying sometimes has errors. Environmental factors — food, abundance or lack of vital nutrients, toxic exposure, radiation — these contribute to the mis-programming of cells. Once an error has occurred, those new cells could have further errors when they divide. At the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, research of genomes of over 2600 tumors of many types of cancer showed that the environmental impact builds up over a lifetime. Clearly, “clean living” does make a difference, and each day that you reduce personal environmental toxins, improve your body’s internal health with better diet, exercise, and rest, and improve your mental outlook, the better anti-cancer foundation you are building. By improving your cells environment, you are investing in your present and future health.
A researcher at the Pennsylvania State University states that there are “unprecedented opportunities” to use food to reduce risk of diseases. Up to 40 percent of cancers are related to diet — that’s the scientific consensus. But when considering the chain-reaction of building up health through diet — where you gain vitality and ability to fight disease as you build the body’s foundation — the percentage is likely much higher. Can you afford not to invest in your health, when you have so much control of your cancer risk?
Environment is the main factor
Scientific consensus is that 80 percent of cancers are related to environment per the Pennsylvania State University researchers.
The Stony Brook University Cancer Center used four approaches to determine cancer risk, and concluded that “environmental exposures and behaviors weigh heavily” on between 70% to 90% of cancer development. This study gathered statistics in four different ways:
- Migrants moving from low cancer risk countries to higher risk countries took on the higher risk of the new country.
- Genome mutational signatures (like fingerprints of the cancer) had external origins for most forms of cancer.
- Statistics on cancer incidence and mortality show increases for many types of cancer, indicating external factors must be the primary cause.
- When three or more mutations occur (which is the accepted standard for cancer onset), the intrinsic (non-external) factors were vastly insufficient to account for the observed cancer risk.
The most common types of cancer show the highest correlation to environmental factors. This makes perfect sense: as we see increases in those types of cancer as our modern environment becomes more hostile, they become more common.
Gene Response
Damaged genomes are not good, but some will occur as we age regardless. Yet active genes are only a small part of our total genome. “Gene regulation” refers to how the environment causes genes to activate or go dormant. What controls activation? Primarily this occurs when the gene’s DNA is transferred to mRNA through a process called “transcription”. The environment signals the factors controlling the transcription through protein binding. As the environment changes, the transcription changes. This is an amazing aspect of the intelligence built into our bodies: they respond to the current environment, increasing our chances that we will successfully adjust to what is around us. In other words, we are built to adapt to our environment. Our very cells are paying attention to what is around them, and are adjusting their way through the circumstances presented to them.
This cell intelligence happens without our knowledge most of the time. We don’t see our bodies quarantining toxins that they can’t dispose of immediately, or regenerating portions of our body when spare energy and a good conditions exist. We aren’t aware of genes that our ancestors may have activated to deal with famine, drought, or other stresses turning off in our bodies because they are not needed. But day after day, our cells are responding to their environment and setting the stage for the next generation of cells that will be making up our bodies in the near future. The effects of the environment are cumulative.
Is it too late?
Perhaps you have lived decades consuming the Standard American Diet and generally not taking care of your health, and realize that you have not been promoting health over much of your life. So is your risk of cancer increased? Technically yes, but you still have control over your current environment, and that is vital. Even years of cell gene damage can be overcome, and you can reduce your future cancer risk significantly. Consider these factors:
- Damaged genes may never activate! Even if you have damaged genes, most of your genes are inactive. The environment “calls out” genetic response.
- You have tumor suppressor genes which retard the division of damaged cells. Your body has mechanisms to control cell division.
- Your immune system. Your body is constantly looking for improper cells, and your immune system can be strengthened with a good environment.
It’s not too late to invest in your future! While the past environment contributes to your current genetic state, current environment affects expression of genes and your ability to combat disease. The stage of life you are in right now is the time to invest in your health.
Dr. Nemec’s Comment:
Cancer is caused by an environment of inflammation and toxicity. As the European Molecular Biology Laboratory study showed “Their findings suggest that tumor development can span the entire lifetime of an individual, so the mutations that initiate cancer progression may arise decades before diagnosis.” Change the environment and you change the outcome. Change the environment earlier in life and you have a much better chance to live life to the full. How do you change the environment? Seven Basic Steps to Total Health is the first step. Next would be knowing and understanding what to do. This is what our outpatient, inpatient, stay at home and membership programs are all about.
- Outpatient Comprehensive Teaching and Treatment Program-has the most benefit of teaching, treatment, live classes and personalized coaching. This program has the most contact with Dr. Nemec with 3- 6 month programs that can be turned into a regular checking and support program for life. This is our core program that has helped so many restore their health and maintain that restoration for years.
- Inpatient Comprehensive Teaching and Treatment Program-is our four-week intensive inpatient program for those that are not in driving distance, usually over 4 hour drive. This is the program that is an intensive jumpstart with treatment, teaching, live classes and coaching designed for all our international patients along with those in the US that do not live in Illinois. This program is very effective especially when combined with our new membership program support.
- Stay at Home Program-is offered to continental US patients who cannot come to Total Health Institute but still want a more personal, customized plan to restore their health. This program also includes our Learn Membership Program.
- Membership Program is our newest program offered for those that want to work on their health at a high level and want access to the teaching at Total Health Institute along with the Forums: both Dr. Nemec’s posts and other members posting. And also, to have the chance to get personalized questions answered on the conference calls which are all archived incase you miss the call. The Membership Program has 3 levels to choose from: Learn, Overcome and Master. The difference is at the Overcome and Master levels you received one on one calls with Dr. Nemec personalizing your program for your areas of focus.
