Cancer is one of the most dreaded and perplexing diseases because of the wide variety of cancers and the complexity of the factors that can set off this disease.

Healthline states that several factors, including a person’s genetic makeup, their family medical history, and some environmental variables (habits connected to their lifestyle), may contribute to the onset of this ailment.

It has been shown through research that some foods contain carcinogens, which are not only dangerous but also have the ability to cause cancer.

Therefore, this article will centre on specific foods that, according to Healthline, increase the risk of cancer, especially when consumed in big quantities over a long period of time.

One, fried or deep-fried foods

There is a chemical called acrylamide that forms in food when it is cooked at a high temperature, such as when frying, baking, roasting, or toasting.

Chemicals called acrylamide are known to cause cancer in animals and are likely to have the same effect on humans.

These chemicals are commonly found in fried foods, especially fried potato products like French fries and potato chips.

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are both linked to a diet heavy in fried foods. Both conditions are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation.

Inflammation and oxidative stress have both been proved to be significant by researchers.

Prepared meat

Healthline writer Kirsten Nunez defines “processed meat” as any type of meat that has been preserved by the use of salt, cures, canning, smoking, or other techniques.

The vast bulk of processed meat is made up of various cuts of red meat. In addition to “beef jerky,” other examples of processed red meats include “hot dogs,” “sausage,” “corned beef,” and “ham.”

In the past, processed meats were prepared using methods that were known to release carcinogens.

Thirdly, processed sugar and flour

Healthline author Kirsten Nunez suggests that a diet high in sugar and processed carbohydrates may increase cancer risk.

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are both linked to a diet high in sugary foods and drinks such pastries, white bread, white rice, sugary cereals, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

These two factors may increase your risk of developing a certain form of cancer.

Type 2 diabetes raises the risk of ovarian, breast, and uterine cancer, whereas abnormally high blood glucose levels are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer.

Oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and pasta are all examples of whole grains that should be included in your diet more frequently.

Leukemia is a blood cancer, and about 10% of all new cancer diagnoses each year are blood cancers.

Leukemia is also the most common type of cancer in children and teens, with about one-third of all new cases each year.

Like many other types of cancer, leukemia is often not noticeable in its early stages. But because your blood goes everywhere in your body, blood cancers can spread quickly.

That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to your body and teach your kids how to talk about how they feel.

One of the best ways to protect your health and the health of your family is to be aware of what’s going on.

Hold on, because I’m going to tell you about five important signs of leukemia that you can’t ignore.

Easily bleeding or getting bruises.

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that can make you bleed more or less.

If even the smallest bump hurts or makes tiny spots of blood show up under your skin, that’s a warning sign.

Leukemia could also cause blood to show up in your urine or poop, make your nose bleed more often, or make your gums bleed when you eat or brush them.

Lymph nodes that are big.

Lymph nodes that are swollen because of leukemia tend to be in the throat, armpits, or groin.

But lymph nodes also get bigger when you have a common infection or are stressed out.

Alone, swollen lymph nodes do not point directly to leukemia. If you have any of the other symptoms on our list, you should also keep an eye on this one.

Loss of weight and appetite.

Even though leukemia doesn’t directly attack your digestive system, the cancer cells that cause it do make substances that change the way your body breaks down food.

These toxins can make it hard to eat, which can lead to unintentional weight loss.

Pain below the lower left ribs. Some types of blood cancer irritate and enlarge the spleen, putting painful pressure under the left ribs.

An enlarged spleen can also put pressure on your stomach, making you feel full even when you haven’t eaten, which can make you lose your appetite.

Wet nights.

When your body temperature rises during the night, it makes you sweat to try to cool it down.

You might not notice when you’re too hot, but you’ll probably wake up when your wet pajamas make you feel cold.

Tomatoes are another source of carotenoids. The most celebrated carotenoid in tomatoes is lycopene.

Lycopene is an antioxidant that helps to reduce disease-causing agents in the body. Lycopene is believed to be the anti-cancer agent in tomatoes.

These include: Reduced risk of prostate cancer Reduced risk of stomach cancer Reduced risk of pancreatic cancer Reduced risk of colorectal cancer Reduced risk of endometrial cancer Reduced risk of ovarian cancer Green Tea Green tea is another food that is associated with reduced cancer risk.

This is primarily because it contains a high concentration of polyphenols. These are substances that have the ability to reduce cell damage and the formation of free radicals.

There is some evidence that green tea is associated with a reduced risk of developing the following cancers:

Breast cancer colorectal cancer Ovarian cancer Prostate cancer Stomach cancer Pancreatic cancer Lung cancer Green tea is also associated with reduced risks of developing cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Green tea is not only healthy for

As much as possible, avoid consuming large quantities of processed foods.

Processed and packaged foods are frequently high in salt and fat. These two components are not good for you. They may lead to weight gain and other health problems.

Researchers have shown that people who consume a lot of processed foods are more likely to acquire cancer than those who don’t consume them.

A survey that was conducted in the United States showed that individuals who consume processed foods and their derivatives had a 60 percent higher risk of acquiring colon cancer and a 40 percent higher risk of acquiring rectal cancer.

Apart from this, the survey also showed that people who consume a lot of processed food are more likely to encounter other health problems such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.

The results of a survey that was carried out in the United Kingdom demonstrated that people who consume a lot of processed food are more likely to acquire breast cancer.

The survey indicated that the more processed food one consumes, the greater the risk of acquiring cancer.

Avoid consuming large amounts of refined sugar. The results of a survey that was conducted in the United States demonstrated that people who consume a lot of processed food are more likely to acquire colon cancer and a 40 percent higher risk.

Prostate cancer is a health condition that affects only men, and there is a lot of controversy surrounding it due to age factors. According to Healthline, prostate cancer happens when there’s inflammation of the prostate.

When a man has it, he starts having problems with his urination and other severe health problems. Some people believe that regular sex can help men increase their chances of protecting their prostate from cancer.

One study reveals that men should have sex about 21 times a month. Another study reveals that men should have it seven times a week. A report from another study says that this only applies to men who are fifty years of age or older.

It’s currently unclear why regular sex can help men prevent prostate cancer. Some researchers believe that regular discharge of semen can help maintain prostate health by removing substances that can cause inflammation.

There are currently a lot of medical reports that support frequent ejaculation to protect the prostate. The controversy here is that some researchers believe that regular ejaculation is only age-related while other researchers don’t support it.

Some don’t believe that the age a man starts ejaculating is a factor that protects him from having prostate cancer. Some believe that the risk reduces when a man starts ejaculating early.

Although, as a man gets older, regular ejaculation can be a great benefit to his prostate health. A study done by doctors from Harvard revealed that ejaculating about twenty-one times a month can put you at a lesser risk of cancer than those who ejaculate just seven times a month.

However, prevention of prostate cancer may not be about regular sex alone. Your diet and lifestyle must be involved. You have to stop eating red meat and animal fat.

Start eating enough vegetables and fruits. Ensure that you are not exposed to environmental chemicals. If prostate cancer reaches an advanced stage, regular sex cannot serve as a cure for it anymore. Surgical treatment might be the final alternative.

After surviving brain cancer as a child, 22-year-old Shauna Rae’ growth was stunted and she is now a young woman stuck in the body of an 8-year-old.

Shauna Rae was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was only 6 months old and underwent chemotherapy treatment that saved her life but also caused damage to her pituitary gland, which caused her to stop growing. Although there is no conclusive evidence that chemotherapy caused the severe deformation of Shauna’s pituitary gland, the cancer treatment has been known to occasionally cause endocrine problems in patients. But the young woman managed to get over her problem, and despite looking like a child, she longs to be treated as an adult.

Ladies have been asked to give men the opportunity to suck their breasts and this is to reduce the rate at which ladies are getting breast cancer.

This advice was given by a celebrated midwife located at Bolgatanga identified as Madam Mary Azika.

She made this known as her submission in the ongoing breast cancer awareness month with today being the NO BRA DAY.

She made this known in an interview on the Bolgatanga-based Dreamz FM and in her submission, she urged the ladies to make themselves available for breast cancer screening.

In her submission, she said;

“Men should play a role in preventing breast cancer. They should encourage their wives when they deliver to breastfeed because good breastfeeding also prevents cancer. They should come and will teach them because we know men like breasts so much. When children sack the breast for two years, they [men] come back to sack the same breast. So they should protect their wives’ breasts by coming with them to the clinic so while we examine we teach them to do the same in the house and when they detect anything they are not sure they can come to the clinic and we will confirm. The men should also sack the breast to help prevent cancer.”

Prevention is preferable to treatment, which is why we must be on the lookout for items that can hurt our health. We will be able to keep attentive and avoid becoming ill as a result of this.

This article focuses on the male gender because they are the ones who are more likely to get Prostatic cancer as they age.

This occurs when the Prostrate becomes inflamed as a result of a Prostrate gland infection.

Men’s seminal fluids, on the other hand, are secreted by the Prostrate glands. Prostrate cancer is also known as Prostatic carcinoma, and generally affects men over the age of 50.

The majority of the foods men eat contribute to the onset of this disease, thus this article discusses two items they should avoid in order to avoid it.1. Most men enjoy consuming alcohol, which does not appear to agree with the Prostate glands. Heavy drinkers are the ones who are most likely to get this condition.

Alcohol-containing beverages, such as beer, can harm the Prostrate, resulting in infections that can turn into cancerous cells.

Men, on the other hand, are recommended to take liquids like fruit juice, non-alcoholic wines, fruits and vegetables in order to avoid contracting this dreadful disease.

2. Red and processed meat are another thing that men should avoid eating. Red meat is found in a substantial fraction of the meals we eat these days, and it is one of the leading causes of Prostrate cancer in males.

Heterocyclic amine (HCA) is a carcinogenic compound found in red meat that is created when it is cooked, fried, boiled, or even grilled. A study has this to say:This is to imply that red and processed meat, which can also be put into a pepper soup, are bad for the Prostrate glands since they can induce cancer.

Hot dogs, beef, and pork are just a few examples. They are, however, advised to eat poultry meat such as turkey, chicken, or even fish.

Israeli scientists clai they’ve made a breakthrough in devising a cure for cancer that could be proven within the year.

Known as MuTaTo, or multi-targit toxin, the new anti-cancer drug is being touted as “a disruption technology of the highest order,” according to The Jerusalem Post.

Dan Aridor, the head of Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd (AEBi), told the paper that his small team of scientists had developed an all-around treatment or “complete cure for cancer,” explaining:

“Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market… Our solution will be both generic and personal.”

The cure is expected to render the disease manageable in the same way that the “triple drug cocktail” made AIDS a survivable disease.

The treatment is based on SoAP technology, a platform designed by AEBi, which the paper describes as providing “functional leads to very different targets.”

The MuTaTo treatment will act as a cancer antibiotic that uses a web of cancer-targeting peptides to attack cancer cells simultaneously, wrapping around them in an octopus-like manner and attacking them from multiple angles, while using a strong peptide toxin to eliminate them.

Because the peptides are so small, they would go undetected by the immune system and avoid counter-attacks that commonly lead to side effects like nausea.

AEBi CEO Dr. Ilan Morad touted the potential treatment as more advantageous than antibodies and also small, cheap, and easy to produce and regulate.

Morad explained:

“We made sure that the treatment will not be affected by mutations; cancer cells can mutate in such a way that targeted receptors are dropped by the cancer. The probability of having multiple mutations that would modify all targeted receptors simultaneously decreases dramatically with the number of targets used.

Instead of attacking receptors one at a time, we attack receptors three at a time — not even cancer can mutate three receptors at the same time.”

Given that an estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2018 alone – making every sixth death in the world a result of cancer and ranking it as the world’s second leading cause of death – the news is very exciting.

Critics, however, remain skeptical about the cure, especially because the only study done so far was performed on mice. Even the inventors themselves concede that human trials will take a while to begin and complete.

In a blog post, Dr. Leonard Lichtenfield, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS), has urged the public to remain “aware that this is far from proven as an effective treatment for people with cancer, let alone a cure,” noting that while the Israeli team has devised an “interesting approach,” one must bear in mind that “the process to get this treatment from mouse to man is not always a simple and uncomplicated journey.”

In his blog on the ACS site, Dr. Lichtenfield adds:

“It will likely take some time to prove the benefit of this new approach to the treatment of cancer. And unfortunately–based on other similar claims of breakthrough technologies for the treatment of cancer–the odds are that it won’t be successful.”

Source:WakingTimes

A second patient has been cured of HIV after undergoing stem cell transplant treatment, doctors said Tuesday, after finding no trace of infection 30 months after he stopped traditional treatment.

The so-called “London Patient”, a cancer sufferer originally from Venezuela, made headlines last year when researchers at the University of Cambridge reported they had found no trace of the AIDS-causing virus in his blood for 18 months.

Ravindra Gupta, lead author of the study published in The Lancet HIV, said the new test results were “even more remarkable” and likely demonstrated the patient was cured.

“We’ve tested a sizeable set of sites that HIV likes to hide in and they are all pretty much negative for an active virus,” Gupta told AFP.

The patient The patient, who revealed his identity this week as Adam Castillejo, 40, was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and had been on medication to keep the disease in check since 2012.

Later that year, he was diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a deadly cancer. In 2016 he underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer, receiving stem cells from donors with a genetic mutation present in less than one percent of Europeans that prevents HIV from taking hold.

He becomes only the second person to be cured of HIV after American Timothy Brown, known as the “Berlin Patient”, recovered from HIV in 2011 following similar treatment.

Viral tests of Castillejo’s cerebral fluid, intestinal tissue and lymphoid tissue more than two years after stopping antiretroviral treatment showed no active infection.

Gupta said the tests uncovered HIV”fossils” — fragments of the virus that were now incapable of reproducing, and were therefore safe.

“We’d expect that,” he said.”It’s quite hard to imagine that all trace of a virus that infects billions of cells was eliminated from the body.”Ethical dilemma Researches cautioned that the breakthrough did not constitute a generalised cure for HIV, which leads to nearly one million deaths every year.

Castillejo’s treatment was a “last resort” as his blood cancer would likely have killed him without intervention, according to Gupta.

The Cambridge doctor said that there were “several other” patients who had undergone similar treatment but who were less far along in their remission.

“There will probably be more but they willtake time,” he said.Researchers are currently weighing up whether or not patients suffering from drug-resistant forms of HIV might be eligible for stem cell transplants in future, something Gupta said would require careful ethical consideration.”You’d have to weigh up the fact that there’s a 10-percent mortality rate from doing a stem-cell transplant against what the risk of death would be if we did nothing,” he said.

Castillejo himself said that the experience had prompted him to come forward and identify himself in order to help spread awareness of HIV.

This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position,” he told The New York Times.Sharon Lewin, an infectious disease expert at the University of Melbourne and member of the International AIDS Society, said Castillejo’s case was”exciting”.

“But we need to also place it in context –curing people of HIV via a bone marrow transplant is just not a viable option on any kind of scale,” she said.”We need to constantly reiterate the importance of, prevention, early testing and treatment adherence as the pillars of the current global response to HIV/AIDS.”

Credit : AFP AND NEWS24

According to a female researcher at Harvard University in a journal called the European Urology, men who engage in frequent sexual activity stand the chance of evading prostate cancer.

A doctor with Amuzu Herbal clinic has reechoed a research finding advising men to ejaculate for not less than 21 times in every month and 5 times each week, if they want to avoid prostate cancer.

A twitter video circulating online shows the female practitioner emphasizing the need for men to have sex frequently to safeguard themselves against the dreadful cancer.

She backed her advice with a research conducted by researchers at Harvard University which was published in a journal called the European Urology.

According to the research, men who engage in frequent sexual activity stand the chance of evading prostate cancer, and the vice versa.

The researchers observed the sexual habits of 32,000 men and came to the determination that those with a higher rate of ejaculation were less likely to have prostate tumors.

“We found that men reporting higher compared to lower ejaculatory frequency in adulthood were less likely to be subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer. This large prospective study provides the strongest evidence to date of a beneficial role of ejaculation in the prevention of prostate cancer,” the researchers said.

Breaking down the findings of the research, they advised: “Twenty-one ejaculations or more per month can protect you (males) from prostate cancer.”

Dr. James Balch, a member of the American Medical Association and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons believes that men must eat good foods to stimulate frequent sexual desire and activity in order to stay away from prostate cancer.

“If a man wants to stay out of the operating room and avoid cancer of the prostate, he needs to go full blast to avoid the high-fat junk foods and environmental toxins that contribute to prostate problems and to start a wise nutritional program that includes the basic supplements that affect the prostate,” he is quoted as saying.

Well, in case you did not know, the ball is now in your court.

A man who was diagnosed with breast cancer says he was made to feel ‘isolated and lonely’ after an online support group declined his membership because of his gender.

David McCallion, 55, who is a community worker from Manchester, United Kingdom was told he would have to have a mastectomy and feared his condition could be hereditary as his mum also had breast cancer. Desperate and in need of support beyond his family, he searched online.

“I tried to join a support group on Facebook. But they sort of politely told me that because I was a man it might prevent members from opening up – so I thought it was best that I didn’t join. I was effectively declined membership,” he said.

He continued: “I was made to feel like I was muscling in. But the last thing I wanted to do was jump up and down saying, ‘Look at me I’ve got breast cancer too.’”

According to charity Prevent Breast Cancer, just 390 men are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK.

“But if the other 389 men feel anything like I did, something needs to be done for men with breast cancer.

“I will never be the same person I was before my diagnosis because, politely speaking, I didn’t realise how lonely this disease is.

“Cancer is [a] lonely full stop. But being a man in what I call the “pink world” of breast cancer – that’s even lonelier.”

McCallion, who has two sons, builder, Ryan, 27, and communications professional, Liam, 25, with his carer wife, Julie, 54, is now keen to break taboos surrounding male breast cancer, which has seen other men questioning his masculinity.

“When I tell other blokes about my diagnosis, half say, ‘Men don’t get breast cancer’, and I lift up my shirt and say, ‘Yes they do’.

“Some ask why I’ve had it, as if to say, ‘Are you really a man?’”

McCallion was diagnosed with gynaecomastia in 2015, a common condition causing men’s breasts to become larger than normal, according to the NHS. In April 2019, he noticed his right nipple was inverted and thought it must be related to the condition.

By Bright Malenga

Malawi has chances to start manufacturing drugs for life-threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer among others.

This is according to President Peter Mutharika after meeting officials from Cipla Quality Chemical Industries in United Kingdom.

“Today, I met in audience Mr. Emmanuel Katongole, Executive Chairman of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited. During the meeting, we discussed the possibility of setting up a pharmaceutical plant in our country,”

“When it materialises, the plant will meet the world’s most stringent regulatory standards and enable Malawi to locally manufacture drugs for life-threatening diseases such as HIV/Aids, cancer and others,” Mutharika said.

Malawi leader said the plant will improve Malawi’s health sector.

“The proposed plant will help us manufacture quality, affordable and up-to-date medicines in order to improve the quantity and quality of life,” he said.

Mr Katongole was accompanied by Dr. Mohan Kaul, Patron of the Malawi-UK Business Group (MUKBG).

Credit : MalawiMuslims

When six-year-old Jayvan Janse van Rensburg is in a lot of pain, his twin brother, Blake, says, “Maybe it’s better if Boetie dies and joins Pappa, who’ll look after him.”
But at other times he tells their mother, Carin (39), “Boetie must stay here with us a little longer.”

Blake struggles with the fact that his brother, who’s in Grade R with him at Laerskool Voorwaarts in Vereeniging, Gauteng, can’t run around, kick a ball or play cricket with him.

On 1 January 2016 Jayvan complained of a pain in his leg. Five days later, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He’s been fighting the disease ever since and chemotherapy hasn’t sent it into remission.

Though Jayvan was initially given three months to live, it’s been 46 months since his diagnosis. He’s due to have his 10th leg surgery soon. Carin is facing the difficult decision in the next few weeks of whether the cancerous bone should be removed and Jayvan’s leg shortened, or whether the leg should be amputated at the hip.

“For a six-year-old it’ll be hard to get around with just one leg,” Carin tells us on the phone from Vereeniging.

Shortening Jayvan’s leg will be an expensive surgery and the bone will have to regrow and new blood flow will have to established, otherwise his body will reject the leg.

And with amputation Jayvan would never be able to wear a prosthetic.

She’s a single mom and she says it’s difficult, but she’ll do anything to save her little boy’s life.

“I have no other choice but to stay strong. Two weeks ago, I sold my car and I’m willing to sell my house. It’s all I have,” Carin says.
And all of this came after the family lost dad Anton.

Anton (52) was shot dead in a home invasion in Drie Riviere, Vereeniging, exactly five weeks before Jayvan’s cancer diagnosis.

“It was the middle of the day,” Carin tells us, her voice breaking. “They beat up my 12-year-old son, Enrico. He was home alone with the domestic worker when we arrived. I heard Enrico yell, ‘Mommy, come quickly!’

“The robbers fled and in the chase Anton was fatally wounded.

“That’s just my life. What can I say? It sounds terrible to say but I’m relieved he’s dead – he wouldn’t have been able to cope with his son’s suffering,” Carin says.

Whichever surgery she chooses, either can be done in Pretoria. But after the previous surgery Jayvan contracted a virus in hospital and ended up spending eight weeks there, so Carin is torn about her pending decision.

“I want to know from every parent, ‘What would you do if it were your child? amputate?’ ”

The National Cancer Centre which is being constructed in Lilongwe in Malawi will soon have trained oncologists under the auspices of the Merck Foundation.

Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation Dr Rasha Kellej said during a meeting with First Lady Gertrude Mutharika that the organization will work together with the Ministry of Health in Malawi.

According to Dr. Kellej this development will help to address challenges facing by Malawi government in treating cancer patients.

Dr. Kellej added that the oncologists will be trained in India and Egypt for one year and two years respectively.

In her remarks Malawi First Lady commended Merck Foundation for the timely support, saying the country does not have enough specialist cancer doctors.

 “We are very grateful for the support from Merck Foundation. Human resource development is very vital in managing and eradicating problems such as cancer and as a country we are facing challenges with the various types of cancers,” said Mutharika.

Merck Foundation is a United States-based charitable organization that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology.

By Robert Kumwenda

Owner of Anna Health and Herbs Oil Company Anna George says he is worried with high death cases relating to cancer diseases in the country because she has the drugs that heal the disease but people are not aware.

She has since asked those that are suffering from cancer, heart brain disease, kidney failure, and swollen body, arthritis and sugar just to mention a few to visit her to be treated.

“l have Anna health juice as well as thick and light multipurpose oil. The thick one is for those who have skin problems,” she said.

 My major concern is that despite the fact I have the herbs that heals different diseases am worried that government is spending a lot of money sending people abroad to be treated for cancer yet l have the medicine that heals the disease.

Worse still, many people are dying that is why am asking them to come to be treated.

George said she started in United Kingdom not long ago when she was working with people from Philippines, France and China that were making herbs for healing different diseases.

“When l came back home l was touched when l saw people that were struggling with a number of diseases. Then l asked my friends that were abroad if they could send me the herbs they were using so that l could make medicine because l saw what they were doing and they exactly did that,” she said.

George said his medicine was tested by Malawi Poisonous board; they cleared such that now there are on research.

To those who wish to find her she said she operates in Namiyango in Bangwe three minutes’ drive from Bangwe weaving factory after Tondole Bus stop opposite Kasabara clinic.

She added that this did not just started out of blues because she has a medical background and a medical certificate.

Almost 250 children are diagnosed with different cancers annually in Malawi.