Diet is best prevention to cancer

It’s understandable that 60 percent of cancer patients attempt to use unconventional remedies to treat their cancer (“Unconventional, unproven remedies lure cancer patients,” The Daily Progress, June 9).

Any middle-aged person such as me has likely known many people who have been stricken with this disease. At last count, I have known 50 people who have had cancer. I have witnessed the suffering and debilitating effects that chemotherapy has had on cancer patients, in most cases offering no curative benefit.

In my opinion, the real story here is not that a majority of cancer patients use alternative remedies in hope of a cure. Their reaction is understandable in light of the low success rate of chemotherapy as a curative treatment for most types of cancer during the past six decades of its use.

Although the medical establishment has informed the public about preventative measures relating to skin, cervical and lung cancer, information is not usually disseminated regarding prevention for other types of cancer. However, scientific information is readily available about this topic.

Armed with the necessary information to understand the causes of cancer, we have the opportunity to make lifestyle changes in order to prevent this disease from occurring in the first place or to live longer with it. I think many of us, and certainly most cancer survivors, would be willing to make those changes if we only knew what to do.

For those who are interested in this topic, I recommend that you read “The China Study” written by biochemist T. Colin Campbell or watch his video at scholar.google.com. Once there, search for the author by name and look for his video. Backed by plenty of scientific research, Campbell makes a convincing argument for consuming a healthy diet as a means of preventing cancer. Campbell even cites evidence of tumors actually shrinking in lab rats once dietary changes were initiated. Reading this book made me feel more empowered and less likely to become the next cancer victim.