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| HEALTH TRIBUNE | Wednesday, February 5, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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HOMOEOPATHY & YOU
INFO CAPSULE
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Cancer: the avoidable risk factors Cancer is believed to be a disease of modernisation and, is, therefore, supposed to be more common in developed countries. But this is not wholly true. Cancer is now very commonly seen in developing countries like India also. It is estimated that about 10 lakh new patients of cancer are added annually to the already existing number. Unfortunately, a majority of these patients are not only suffering from this disease in late stages but are also not able to get proper treatment. The exact cause of cancer is not known and hence its prevention not possible. But there are factors that are supposed to increase the chances of developing cancer above the level of the risk in the general population. Knowledge of these factors may be helpful in reducing the chances of getting cancer. How do you prevent cancer ? This is a million dollar question. A direct comprehensive answer to this is not possible although billions of dollars have been spent and are being presently spent all over the world in search of this answer. A disease can be prevented only if you know what actually causes it. For cancer we still do not have the answer although it is known that constant irritation to the tissue for a very long period can give rise to cancer. This irritant may be a physical or chemical agent or a microbial organism. Take, for example, the sun rays. Ultra-violet rays can give rise to the cancer of skin as commonly seen in Australia and New Zealand. Chemical agents like coal tar, mercury and insecticides can give rise to cancer to the workers handling these agents. But the biggest culprit is tobacco, smoking of which leads to lung cancer. Chewing of tobacco leads to the cancer of mouth, food pipe, etc. Because of the prevalence of tobacco chewing in India, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh; the cancer of mouth is the commonest type seen in our country. Microbes have been also thought to give rise to cancer — for example, Burkitt’s tumour as seen in African countries. As mentioned earlier, it is not only the presence of the irritant but the duration of exposure to the irritant which is more important. Aging thus is a major factor in the development of cancer. Although there are certain exceptions to this — for example, childhood cancers like leukaemia, brain and kidney tumours and lymphoblastoma can occur even in the new-born — the vast majority of common cancers occur in the fifth and sixth decades of life and the incidence increases further with the passage of time. It is known that we cannot stop the aging process, but we can surely identify some factors in our lifestyle that may have a contributary role in the development of cancer. We can try to do something to nullify their effects. Some of the important causal and risk factors are mentioned below: Genetic factors: Cancer , in general , is not hereditary and the disease is not passed on to the offspring. But in a few cases the children, grandchildren and close relatives of the same family are more susceptible to develop a particular type of cancer than the normal population. Breast cancer is one such example where 5 per cent of the patients of this disease may be found to have familial tendency. Research is going on to detect women with genetic abnormalities who would be developing breast cancer in later years of their lives. In addition the ovarian cancer, the kidney cancer in children and retinoblastoma (tumour of the eye) have a strong hereditary predisposition. Children of the parents who have any of these tumours should undergo very regular screening so as to detect the disease at a very early stage. Physical agents: Any physical agent that causes constant irritation for a long time can give rise to cancer. Examples are many. Ultra-violet rays coming from sunlight are known to cause the cancer of skin. bare-chested farmers work in a bent position. Sunlight directly falls upon their back and they are liable to get the cancer of skin. For the prevention of this cancer, they are advised to wear solar hats and should also cover their bare backs. Radiation: It is a fact that radiation is used for the treatment of cancer and at the same time it can also induce cancer because of continued exposure. Cancer risk from radiation can be reduced by: 1. Minimising the x-ray examinations to bare essential ones. 2.Taking safety measures while working in the environment of increased radiation — X-ray machines, laboratories using radioactive isotopes, industries using radiation energy, etc 3. Avoiding X-rays during pregnancy, particularly during the first three months of pregnancy, as it is likely to be harmful for the foetus. Smoking: Avoidance of smoking is the single important factor that can prevent lung cancer to a great extent. It is difficult to stop smoking but this is the only way to reduce the chances of getting lung cancer. Short of quitting smoking, the important preventive factors are: cut down smoking, do not inhale the smoke, use a good brand of tobacco, always use cigarettes with filters, do not smoke in a closed environment like a room, bus, etc. Chemical agents: For almost 80 years, it has been known that a number of chemical agents contain cancer-causing components and these agents are known as carcinogens. Coal tar, mercury, aniline dyes and asbestos are some of the chemicals that are definitely known to be carcinogenic in nature. Persons handling these chemical agents must take preventive measures by using gloves, masks, gum boots, etc, so that they neither come in direct contact with these agents nor inhale the fumes. Alcohol: The relationship between the consumption of alcohol and the development of cancer is yet not well established, it is supposed to be one of the contributing factors for the cancer of mouth and oesophagus. Heavy consumption of alcohol definitely gives rise to the cirrhosis of liver, which is prone to give rise to the cancer of liver. Therefore, it can be said that alcohol gives rise to liver cancer. Diet: A balanced and nutritious diet is necessary for our well-being but the type of diet we take today is far from ideal. We like to consume fast food which has a lot of fats, spices and condiments, and very little of fibers. This is definitely not good for health. A high intake of fat has been associated with a number of cancers, particularly that of breast. It has also been established that a high intake of fat along with a decreased intake of fibers increases the risk of cancer of the large intestine. Hormonal factor: Hormones do influence the development of cancer, particularly breast cancer. It has been estimated that the following categories of women are more prone to develop breast cancer : (a) spinsters; (b) women who has not given birth to a child or have given birth to their first child after the age of 30 years, (c) women who have a long menstrual life. The writer, President of the Association of Surgeons of India, is a former Head, Department of Surgery, PGI, Chandigarh.
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HOMOEOPATHY & YOU Dr Vikas Sharma Until recently Autism was something that only highly specialised neuro-development experts had heard of. Not many knew about this disease. Not even general physicians knew much about it though Kanner (an American psychiatrist) had first observed this disorder in 1943. But what is worrisome is the rate at which it is coming up. Recently an exhaustive article published in the Time magazine (November, 2002) mentioned a disturbing rate of 1 in every 150 children of the age of 10 having features of autism in the USA. Just a few years ago the incidence was one in ten thousand. Although no clear statistics are available for India, a sudden increase in its incidence here, too, has been very alarming. Autism, a neurological disorder, begins in early childhood (typically during the first three years of life) and affects three crucial areas of development: verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and creative or imaginative play. Other characteristics may include repetitive and ritualistic behaviour, hand-flapping, spinning or running in circles, excessive self-stimulation, self-injury, aggression, reduced sensitivity to pain, temper tantrums, and sleeping and eating disturbances. To put it simply, autism is a term used to describe children who are socially withdrawn and preoccupied with routine; who struggle to acquire spoken language yet often possess intellectual gifts that rule out the diagnosis of mental retardation. What is happening to our children? What has gone wrong with them? What is the reason for this sudden increase in autism cases? The reasons are not clear, but the factors under scrutiny range from genetic disturbances, environmental toxins and drugs used in pregnancy to the vaccines administered for the prevention of various diseases. “Vaccine-induced autism” is under enormous scrutiny, though there is no conclusive scientific study to prove or disapprove it. But for those who believe in autism being triggered by vaccines, hypothecate that the immune (defence) response generated by the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) damages the nerve sheaths (nerve coverings) leading to a generalised neurological disorder. In this imbroglio, the basic questions still remain unanswered. What perturbs more is the epidemic-like spread of autism which makes one ponder the so-called advances of modern civilisation.
Homoeopathy &
Autism Homoeopathic treatment is extremely beneficial for those who respond to it. Many of those who do respond, the results may be so favourable that in a matter of a year or two some of the autistic kids may nearly come out of autism. Homoeopathy, however, has its limitations. It may not help all autistic cases. Even for homoeopaths it is a big unanswered question, why is it so that nearly 35 per cent of children with full-blown autism benefit so much with homoeopathy and why the other 65 per cent do not. Before starting homoeopathic treatment the evaluation of the child on an autism rating scale is a must. Periodical assessments are also necessary to interpret improvements. Early treatment
leads to better results. It has been observed that homoeopathic intervention shows better results in very young children suffering from autism. Homoeopathic secretin is more helpful for autistic children with a leaky gut (diarrhoea). It helps in neutralising peptides in the blood. It is very effective in controlling hyperactivity. Although homoeopathic medicine carcinocin is very effective in the treatment of autism, it certainly is not a panacea. For carcinocin to be used, like any other homoeopathic treatment, the child has to fall in with its constitutional picture. As autism is a spectrum disorder and cases can range from mild to severe, a prescription based on a thorough constitutional analysis is always the best option. The writer is a Chandigarh-based homoeopath. He can be contacted at telephone
no. 0172- 2721501
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INFO
CAPSULE Tokyo "Consumption of vegetables and fruit as low as one day per week may serve to protect against gastric cancer," concludes a team of scientists led by Dr Shoichiro Tsugane of the National Cancer Centre Research Institute East in Kashiwa, Japan. Beginning in 1990, Dr Tsugane and his team used periodic questionnaires to keep track of the ongoing dietary habits of 40,000 Japanese men and women. By the year 2000, 404 of those participants had developed some form of stomach cancer, reports News24.com. After adjusting for other risk factors such as age, smoking and drinking, the researchers compared the diets of those who had developed cancer with those who remained cancer-free. It was found that participants ranking in the top 20 per cent in terms of their weekly vegetable and fruit consumption had an overall 25 per cent lower risk of developing stomach cancer, compared with those in the bottom 20 per cent. ANI Give vent to anger and lessen chances of heart attack Washington In the case of stroke, the researchers found that the risk decreased in proportion to increasing levels of anger expression, reports Health Behaviour News Service. The findings indicate "a more complex pattern of associations between anger and cardiovascular disease than previously described," according to Patricia Eng, Sc.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues. "Moderate anger expression seems to be protective against cardiovascular disease over a limited follow-up period," Eng says.
ANI They feel low in certain seasons but smell better Washington: People suffering from seasonal affective disorder have a better sense of smell than healthy persons, a new US study has found. According to research done by Dr Teodor Postolache and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, this finding may help them to use olfactory stimulation to make the light treatment used to treat this disorder more effective, reports in the Archives of General Psychiatry have said. Sufferers of seasonal blues experience as yet unexplained bouts of depression at certain times of the year, especially when the mercury drops in autumn and winter. Exposure to bright light is said to lift the mood of the people with SAD. Many sun-loving South Africans living in chilly London are often prescribed a few sessions on the sun bed by their psychiatrists when they are feeling down.
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Cancer: the avoidable risk factors