By Howard Gottlieb

I have participated in Relay for Life for many years. I have participated in the local Relay for Life activities as well as at some different regional locations. My involvement has ranged from making a donation to the Relay for Life cause to being a walker in the middle of the night. For the most part, the overall objective is the same while different chapters do things a bit differently.

In general, Relay for Life is an overnight, team event. Teams are formed from families, churches, organizations, schools, businesses, corporations, public employee groups, health care professionals, and more. Relay For Life activities bring together diverse groups--all with a common goal of wanting to strike back against cancer.

Another commonality is the honoring of cancer survivors. This special event culminates in the lighting of luminaries around the track. These luminaries are lit to honor the cancer survivors as well as the loved ones who have lost their battle.

Now each chapter can develop particular activities for their area. Many chapters have contests and have teams compete in the areas of t-shirt design, camp design, food, money raised, number of contributors and team theme.

Each team has a team captain. The team captain is responsible for creating the team, works with the Event Committee and is the go to person for communicating to their team. Teams are comprised of 8 - 15 members. The team captain is also responsible for organizing fundraising events for the team. Also, the captain will be responsible for making sure the necessary items are covered, such as food, proper clothing, tent, etc.

With carefully planned Relay for Life activities, the time will just fly by. You can have the separate contests judged and awards made. You can have testimonials. You can have a contest to see who can walk the most laps. The important thing to remember, that everyone there, is supporting finding a cure for cancer. Without people who care enough to devote their time and resources, we would still be generations away from finding a cure. So get a group together and support the American Cancer Society and their quest to eradicate cancer from this world.

By Eddy S. Lee

Liver cancer is a kind of tumor that affects the liver area. This type of cancer is otherwise called as hepatoma or primary liver cancer. The cancer in the liver is the most common type of cancer found among people in western countries. Liver cancer is the deadly type of cancer, which could never be cured in most cases. People affected with cancer in the liver will have a shorter life span of around one.

Liver cancer is categorized into two different types. They are the primary liver tumor and the secondary liver tumor. Primary liver tumor is not commonly found, whereas the secondary liver cancer is found almost in larger groups of people. In this type of secondary liver tumor, the cancer cells spread from various other parts distressing the liver.

Primary liver cancer is not mostly found among people. This type of cancer will greatly trouble the people and create a crucial situation. This type of cancer could be caused due to the intake of toxic and noxious food stuffs. Hepatitis B affected people will have greater chance of getting affected by primary liver tumor.

Secondary liver cancer is the major type of cancer in the liver this is most often found among the people in western countries. In this type, the cancer cells spread from various other parts of the body affecting the liver. This type of tumor is known as Metastasis.

Liver cancer can be rarely cured through surgery. The surgical method could be handled only by depending upon the following perspectives:

• The type of cancer and where it has been rightly positioned
• How deeper the cancer is far-flung in the liver
• How good the other functionalities of a liver is working

People with cancer in the liver will experience several signs and symptoms, which includes:

• Massive weight loss which could never be described
• Loss of appetite in short time
• Overfed even after taking a small food
• Heavy pain in the abdomen
• Enlarged and swollen abdomen
• Face turns pale
• Discharge of dark urine
• High sweat
• Increased temperature

If you experience these signs and indications, it is important to consult your physician! Treating cancer in the initial stage gives the possibility for cure and moreover it is good to make regular check-up. Some individuals might have not experienced these symptoms in the early stage of the disease, and at this point it becomes difficult to examine the disease and treat it.

By Diana Jo Rossano

When you were in high school biology, you probably were taught about the body's immune system - right? It is responsible for keeping disease at bay. Dr. Love (she is often on Oprah) says that everyone has cancer living in their body at some point in their life. So, why do some people get cancer and others don't?

In the simplest of terms, it's because their immune systems did not allow the cancer cells to reproduce. Once the immune system stops removing abnormal cells, we are fertile ground for cancer to grow. The forgetfulness of the cells may have been caused by the aging process? The forgetful cells may have been exposed to radiation or other environmental causes. While we don't know the cause of the abnormal cells, we do know that the body's defenses should be removing the abnormal cells. Cancer is NOT an organ-related illness. Cancer is a disease of the entire body.

We have breast cancer, lung cancer, and the cancer list goes on and on. But, if my alternative theory is correct, cancer is a systemic problem. Systemic would mean that cancer belongs to your entire body.

Here's an example: if I cut my finger, am I bleeding finger blood? No, I'm bleeding blood. Blood is systemic to my entire body - your blood belongs to all of you. If we apply this example to the cancer, it would mean if I have cancer of the lungs is the cancer in my lungs or is the cancer in my entire body and just took residence in my weakest organ? The lungs.

Removing a lung reduces the toxicity level of the of cancer in the body, but the body has not had its problem corrected. What problem? The problem of the immune system being compromised and allowing the cancer to grow. The body has stopped removing abnormal cells. That's why the cancer is likely to come back, but in another weak area of the body.

Are you interested in helping your immune system? I'm a Ph.D. in intervention medicine. I'm sometimes called the Dancing Doctor in Orlando, and here's my suggestion: Don't eat anything you cannot pronounce. Most processed foods in the American diet are not just processed but OVERLY processed and are deadly to the immune system. Hydrogenated oil is one of the biggest insults to the immune system. In other countries in the world like Denmark, partially hydrogenated oil has been outlawed by the government for over 40 years.

Americans are literally digging their own graves with their fork. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes - that beans.

By Lee K Duncan and Ty Duncan

Cancer dates back to around 1600 BC. Back in the early Egyptian era, remains from bodies showed growths in them and a tool called the fire drill was used to try to eradicate the disease from the body. I am grateful they don't use the fire drill today. The cause of most cancers can be linked to environmental pollutants, that are chemicals or toxins that have invaded the body tissues and cause cell damage. The cells then mutate out of control causing more and more mutated cells to divide and wreak havoc on your organs and tissues.

There are cancer causes that range from viruses to radiation damage to the DNA of a person making them susceptible to diseases like cancer. Over many years the treatment for cancer has evolved but no real treatment to this day has been really truly effective at helping your body overcome cancer. There are many forms of cancer that affect many different parts of the body and grow at different speeds. Some are very aggressive and some are very slow growing. Once it starts it is very difficult to slow it down or stop it completely. There is a discovery that has recently come to the attention of many people in the medical field and what this discovery does is something very unique and plays a huge part in helping your body battle disease.

This discovery was found many years ago and has since been refined, tested and has been found to help your body's immune system. This method will increase your bodies PH level and change it from acidic to alkaline in a very short time. Cancer needs an acidic environment to be able to spread and grow, once your PH is changed, your body moves to an alkaline state where your tissues are infused with high amounts of oxygen, slowing and eventually killing off the cancer all together.

Your body is the only cure in this world. This method is not the cure. In fact this newly discovered method does one thing and one thing only, It removes things in your body that don't belong there in the first place. It removes things like heavy metals and toxins, pretty much all the environmental pollution that your body can't completely get rid of naturally. Once pollution enters our body, it goes through the body's natural removal process. Toxins are pushed out through the kidneys, bowels and even through the skin. Unfortunately now days pollution is overwhelming our bodies in such a way that our bodies are forced to absorb these pollutants into our tissues, organs and even placing them into our fat cells to try and protect more vital organs and tissues.

Once these invisible killers take over, it's just a matter of time before they cause your body's immune system to break down. The end result of a toxic overload and the imbalance of your immune system is cancer. The rate in which cancer patients are being diagnosed with cancer is staggering. Cancer is now affecting 1 out of 3 people in the world. That number continues to climb and we are now forced to find alternatives to battle this ever growing epidemic. We must now battle this problem from the inside, by assisting your body in removing these harmful pollutants before they can harm you. An amazing discovery has been made to help our bodies overcome disease. It's the perfect tool. Discover it for yourself or a loved one. Healing is only clicks away.

By Ali Raza

Being diagnosed with cancer is never as bad as having to deal with the treatment. There are many factors today that people get exposed to and have led to them contracting the disease. The best thing that one needs to do immediately they get diagnosed is to check into a Michigan cancer treatment and support center. There, they get to meet with people who are also fighting the disease. The earlier this is done, the faster one is on their way to getting proper treatment. There are several of such centers in Michigan that offer treatment facilities for patients and also get to be manned by the best oncologists in the region.

The most prominent of these centers is the cancer center at the University of Michigan. The facility has the best medical experts in the field and are up to date involved in carrying out research on how the disease can be curbed. Some of the patients can also team up with the researchers in some of their trials. While at the center; one can opt to be an in or an out-patient. This can however be allowed to patients who have almost recovered or of whom ailment isn't that serious.

The Michigan cancer treatment centers focus on several cancer diseases like the liver, skin and lung cancer. The patients as well as their relatives and friends are also given the counseling sessions to help them through the healing process. Anyone who is suffering from any type of cancer can check into any of the centers in Michigan. Some of these are the Barbara Ann Karmanos in Detroit, St Mary's Hospital, the Lacks Center and the west Michigan Center in Kalamazoo.

The advantage of getting into the cancer centers is that one gets affordable treatment and also other high-tech treatment facilities to quicken one's recovery. Radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are some of the treatments that patients are given. Cancer can attack anyone. While at the center, one gets to learn of ways that they can manage the disease and prevent the disease from ever re-appearing. Eating well, leading a healthy lifestyle and working in clean and safe environments are encouraged. Most of these centers rely heavily on sponsorships from the public and the government. Also, if one's condition was as a result of another's fault, one can be availed with a lawyer to seek justice.

By Shira Litwack

The most common blessings we bestow upon people is good health & long life. We wish for ourselves that we should stay looking young and find that eternal fountain of youth.

My commitment to my business as a holistic nutritionist and a lifestyle fitness expert is that I will try my best to annihilate all the myths, trash & fantasies that are out there. I only want to bring you scientific fact - and most important of all - help you integrate these facts into your busy life. I don't just wish thoughts for you flippantly - I truly want you to live a healthy fulfilled life. Know where to truly draw reward and pleasure as you hustle & bustle through life.

Fantasy: The fountain of youth. Fact: our sweat is really the curative waters of the fountain of youth. My favorite expression is the fountain of youth is filled with dumbbells.

To help you really be healthy, feel & stay looking young, please listen to the scientific facts I am handing you - on a silver platter - lined with the the keys to implementing them into your life. Make sure you turn the keys - because otherwise all these blessings are for not.

"Low fitness is as important a risk factor as smoking, and people who maintain activity and fitness are much less likely to lose function and independence as they age". Dr. Blair is recognized world wide as THE guru on the importance of a physically active lifestyle. Physical inactivity is the biggest public health problem of the 21st century. It is the major contributing factor to heart disease (our #1 killer) cancer (our #2 killer).

The foods we eat are another major contributing factor to disease. Again most unfortunately, there are many archaic myths out there that unfortunately many people still abide by - denying themselves critical nutrition. The very best way to fight disease is to prevent it. Much of that is in our control with diet and exercise. A vital part of our nutrition in terms of heart health, disease prevention, weight maintenance are healthy fats. We can't make blanket statements like all fats are bad in the nutrition business. When it comes to fats, it is not just about being saturated or unsaturated, the actual chemical composure of the fat molecule is critical in understanding how they impact our health. As an example coconut oil, which is often lambasted because it is a saturated fat - is actually extremely healthy and provides nutrients rarely found in any other food. According to Dr. Bruce Fife, author of Eat Fat Look Thin, coconut is world's only natural, low-calorie fat-a fat that not only has fewer calories than any other fat, and is proven successful in helping those suffering from obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart and circulatory problems, yeast infections, chronic fatigue, and many other conditions.

We all fear the "C" word - cancer. It is the #2 killer out there. But again so much of it is preventable by prioritizing your lifestyle habits. In 2010 according to cancer.org - 569,490 people in the U.S. died of cancer.

#1 - Lung
#2 - ColoRectal
#3 - Breast
#4 - Pancreatic
#5 - Prostate
#6 - Skin

It has been proven in numerous studies that all of these have a major component of lifestyle factors. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean - Naturopathic & Medical doctor - the best cure for cancer is prevention. It all comes down to choosing the right foods and getting physical activity. Just get the scientific facts on choosing the right foods.

Given that skin cancer is one of our biggest cancer killers, we clearly know prevention is the very best here. According to Dr. Ben Barankin - medical & cosmetic dermatologist "Sunscreen is the #1 thing you can do for your skin in terms of preventing skin cancer and anti-aging. Know how to read the label on the sunscreen. There are 4 ingredients that must be there in order to get UVA & UVB protection. Broad Spectrum is a marketers label on sunscreen - not a dermatologist's!) "

All of these fantastic specialists dedicated to keeping you healthy will be on Eat Exercise Live over the next month. Tune in to hear these specialists - and get the true scientific facts. There is NO sacrifice to being fit - yes hard work but not sacrifice. the rewards of personal fulfillment are euphoric. If you haven't felt this exhilaration yet of having such harmony, energy & self pride - time for a paradigm shift. The rewards of a fit lifestyle are much greater - and much more long term.

By Carol E Patterson

Cancer cells are always present in the body and are normally kept in check by our body's own natural defense system. Do you know how the body's natural defense system works and where it gets the ammunition to do so? Do you know at what point the body succumbs to the disease named cancer?

Millions of cancer cells are present in the body from time to time. However, when the cancer cell count reaches the billions, we know the body's natural defense system is not working. Cancer cells seem go undetected as foreign cells by the body. Since cancer cells grow more quickly than normal cells they can replace healthy cells almost unnoticed by the body until we feel something is wrong, a tumor, or an organ is malfunctioning.

Cancer has occurred in your body over a long period of time due to many different forces. Outside influences such as environment, exposure to toxins, smoking, second-hand smoke, tremendous shock, and cancer-causing foods can and do cause cancer.

However, cancer can be cured. Studies have proven that a nutritious diet of anti-oxidant foods and nutrients can cure cancer. Cancer fighting foods are as close as your local grocery store shelves. All you need is the knowledge of which particular foods and the correct recipes and you will be able to cure your cancer condition naturally. In this case, knowledge is the power to heal.

A wide variety of foods makes a lifetime cancer-free diet. There is a process to learning how to make food selections and cook in a way that not only cures cancer, but prevents the disease from permeating your body. Two-time cancer survivor and author Carol Patterson has developed many wonderful tasting recipes using cancer fighting foods. Her second diagnosis of cancer prompted the doctors to suggest radical surgery. The author chose alternative cancer cures to save her body from being disfigured and horrendous exposure to chemotherapy again.

The cancer fighting foods program works and be assured that your cancer can be cured. Cancer cures are as close as the local grocery store or health food market coupled with the correct recipes and you will be able to cure yourself of cancer and to maintain a healthy body for the rest of your life. The National Cancer Institute estimates that roughly one-third of all cancer deaths may be diet related. What you eat can hurt you. On the other hand, what you eat can also help you. Knowing which foods are cancer fighting foods, and making the correct choices can save your life.

Many of the common foods found in grocery stores or organic markets contain cancer fighting anti-oxidants and can cure cancer naturally. The antioxidants neutralize damage caused by cancer-causing free radicals and change them into phytochemicals which battle cancer cells. Scientists are just beginning to explore this amazing phenomenon.

Worldwide, we are beginning to realize that the modernization of our food processing system in the last 50 years has led to almost epidemic proportions of cancer and heart disease. Not only are these foods contributing to an enormous obesity problem because of chemical ingestion, but processed foods are poisoning our bodies one day at a time. Over a period of 25-40 years, major damage has been done to our bodies by eating chemically processed foods; and the result is deadly cancer and heart disease.

The good news is that the body has extremely resilient recuperative abilities. Cells divide and regenerate daily, including cancer cells. Cancer cells are missing two essential amino acids: Linolenic Acid and Linoleic Acid. That being the case, it is very logical to realize if we feed the cancer cells the missing amino acids and nutrients, the cells will have the ability to morph and regenerate themselves into healthy cells. The concept is quite simplistic, but it works. Cancer can be cured and many people have been cured from cancer with this concept using cancer-fighting foods.

What researchers are finding is we are what we eat!

All over the world, our diet has changed from the times when we ate mainly farm-fresh foods. We go to the grocery store and buy many processed foods which have chemical preservatives and are generally not healthy for us. In many cases, these foods actually cause cancer one day at a time over a period of years.

On the other hand, there are many foods in our grocery stores which have natural antioxidants and the ability to fight off cancer as well as maintain normal body health. Once you know the correct cancer fighting foods, you can institute a natural cancer cure.

The National Cancer Institute recognizes that diet and nutrition play a big part in fighting cancer. They recommend eating at least five daily servings of fruit and vegetables as part of a low-fat, high fiber diet. Many cancer fighting foods which are high in anti-oxidants are nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

In general, in the western world, our daily diet today is out of balance. We eat too much food; we eat too much meat and fat; we eat too much sugar and salt, and our diet lacks fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Our normal daily diets are comprised mostly of up to 45% fats. A healthy fat intake should be 30% or less of the total day's food intake.

The National Cancer Institute states that diet and nutrition are factors in 60% of cancers in women and 40% of cancers in men.

Today more and more studies are proving that we can beat cancer with the ammunition of nutritious foods and a balanced diet. John's Hopkins University in their cancer studies has a new update verifying these studies.

It has become common knowledge that nutritional food intake is essential to fighting cancer. It is not logical that the reverse could be true? The wrong foods can and do cause cancer. Not too difficult to figure out!

The National Cancer Institute and the Federal Food and Drug Administration agree that Americans should eat more fiber and reduce their fat intake. These authorities also stress that the freshness of food is an important factor.

Fresh foods straight from your own garden or the farm stand would be the best cancer fighting foods, plus they are delicious tasting! When you use fresh foods for your meals, and prepare them yourself, you know what you are eating. This is essential to a creating a cure for cancer for yourself or loved one.

There are numerous published reports documenting the healing qualities of a healthy diet. The idea of consuming fruits and vegetables while they are still in their natural state means that we preserve the natural nutrients to put into our body.

When making juice from fruits or vegetables, drink the juice within five minutes of processing to preserve the natural nutrients.

Once the principles of fresh food make sense to you, the idea of store-bought, processed food reveals itself as a large part of the problem. Learn to look at the labels on the back of food packages. The best advice is to eat food in its natural state as it comes from the grower. If you can grow your own vegetables, that is an even better solution.

You will begin to realize the more modern we have become in terms of our food process; the more we now have epidemic high levels of cancer, heart disease and obesity and increasing year after year. There is a direct correlation of processed foods and disease which scientists are proving daily.

There is something drastically wrong with this picture! People no longer have to be deathly sick with cancer. Cancer can be cured through cancer fighting foods.

Preparing your own fresh juice and food is slightly more work, but consider the alternative. Other countries such as Japan and China do not have the heart disease, obesity or the cancer problems which we have in the western world. Asian foods are mostly vegetable, nut, fruit and fish based. The health problems of heart disease, obesity, and cancer in the western world, and the food differences between our foods and Asian foods have direct correlation.

Medical and scientific resources are now stating the reason for the high spikes in illness throughout the world is because of processed foods. When you hear a food warning, one at a time on a radio show or a morning talk show, it does not have the impact as it does in written reports complied by government agencies and noted authorities.

It is very logical to see: We are what we eat!

Listed below is a chart of FDA approved fruits and vegetables. Make note on this list; there is plenty of food to eat! Making delicious and healthy cancer fighting foods from this listing is not difficult at all.

FDA CONSUMER JOURNAL'S TOP 20 FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND FISH

TOP 20 FRUITS.............................VEGETABLES...................................FISH

* Bananas.................................potatoes.........................................shrimp
* Apples.....................................lettuce.............................................cod
* Watermelon...........................tomatoes........................................Pollock
* Oranges.................................onions.............................................catfish
* Cantaloupe............................carrots.............................................scallops
* Grapes....................................celery...............................................salmon
* Grapefruit................................sweet corn......................................flounder
* Strawberries...........................broccoli............................................sole
* Peaches..................................green cabbage...............................oyster
* Pears........................................cucumbers......................................orange roughy
* Nectarines................................bell peppers....................................mackerel
* Honeydew melon....................cauliflower.......................................ocean perch
* Plums........................................leaf lettuce........................................rockfish
* Avocados..................................sweet potatoes................................whiting
* Lemons.....................................mushrooms.....................................clams
* Pineapples...............................green onions....................................haddock
* Tangerines...............................green beans.....................................blue crab
* Sweet cherries.........................radish.................................................trout
* Kiwis..........................................summer squash..............................halibut
* Limes........................................asparagus.........................................lobster

Many of the foods on both the FDA recommended list and the cancer fighting foods are the same. Take the time to cross-reference this list with the cancer fighting foods list below. You will see that many of the foods are the same. Amazing!

By changing your diet, and going back to the way we ate 30-50 years ago without processed foods in our diet, you will have the ability to make your body strong and healthy again. Processed foods are a no-no. A lifetime of processed foods can lead to cancer, heart disease, and obesity, which have all become epidemic proportion in the western world.

We have gotten away from true center in our food intake.

We eat too much, and especially eat too much of the wrong foods. If you look at the daily diet of an average teenager, think fast-forward 25-40 years from now, to the amount of illness which will strike their lives after 25-40 years of ingesting chemically processed foods. This is one of the reasons childhood obesity is at epidemic levels. These children do not have a chance for a long healthy life unless they change their eating habits and stop eating processed foods and chemicals.

We drink processed soft drinks and orange juice which are filled with high sugar content, we eat processed meat and dairy products which have high chemical content, and we cook our food to the point where we have lost the nutrition either to the water in the boil, or the flame of the cooking process.

Foods, as prepared in most Asian countries, do not have the cancer risk we have developed over time in our food processing and preparations in the western world.

CANCER FIGHTING FOODS..........

There is logic to the association of healthy foods and the relationship to a healthy body.

Listed below are foods which are cancer-fighting foods which can be used to cure cancer. These foods also happen to be foods for living a wonderfully healthy lifestyle.

* Avocados
* Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower
* Carrots
* Chili peppers and jalapenos
* Figs
* Flax
* Garlic
* Ginger
* Grapefruits
* Grapes, red
* Green and yellow leafy vegetables
* Kale
* Licorice root
* Mushrooms
* Nuts
* Oranges and lemons
* Papayas
* Raspberries
* Red wine
* Rosemary
* Seaweed and other sea vegetables
* Sesame Seed Oil
* Soy products such as Tofu
* Sweet potatoes
* Teas: Green Tea and Black Tea
* Tomatoes
* Turmeric
* Turnips

Nature has provided a plethora of foods for us to eat and enjoy a healthy life. Have some fun creating recipes that include the cancer fighting foods in this article. Explore your grocery store in the vegetable and organic sections. There are many foods readily available at your local grocery or health food store on this list.

In the book Cure Your Self of Cancer by two-time cancer survivor Carol Patterson, you will find breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes for a 30-Day Anti-Cancer Diet consisting of cancer fighting foods which uses all of the foods mentioned in this article. This diet of cancer fighting foods can save your life. Her book shows us how to use cancer fighting foods to cure cancer. The recipes are also a delicious lifetime diet which you can use in order to maintain a healthy being for many years to come.

By Alan Wighton

As stated in the New York Times recently and adjusted for the size and age of the population the cancer death rate has only dropped 5 percent over the last 55 years, up until 2005. Why has it done so poorly despite being told they are slowly winning the war against the disease?

The reason why they haven't made progress in solving the cancer problem is the entire treatment industry has been following a faulty paradigm for close to 100 years. They commonly believe that by cutting, burning or purging the body of these foreign growths they have successfully beaten the disease. And of course the presumption that cancerous cells must be cut out or somehow removed from the body is accepted without question by everyone these days.

What you will not be told is, you don't need to cut it out or otherwise purge it, all you need to do is to stop the cancer cells from dividing and they will disappear on their own as quickly as they appeared. Every human body is capable of doing this. Today we only have expensive toxic treatments that subject patients to much mutilation and suffering, yet these treatments mostly yield survival improvements of only a few months.

While our mainstream medical system is very good at diagnosing cancer, their treatments are in place because of their ability to return a profit. Profit features in all western medicine today with their patented drugs and the treatments for cancer are their star performer. The pharmaceutical companies are the most profitable industries on earth.

I'm well aware that people with cancer don't want to make changes to the way they live. Most patients just want to get well, but what many of them mean by getting well is "I want to be the way I was before I got sick." Life-style factors such as smoking, poor diet, exposure to radiation and poisons, lack of exercise, and negative thinking are all factors that cause or promote cancer. Most patients who are successful in healing cancer make significant changes in their life-style. In fact, healing requires life-style changes. If we attack the tumour without improving the underlying system that caused it, the body will usually make more tumours.

We must never forget that our main weapon against cancer is our own body, which is our immune system. Our body can mend itself when injured, this we know and it's because we all have an immune system. It can also recover from cancer using this same system but it requires good nutrition to achieve this. This protective and repair system is incredibly powerful.

It has long been known that all cancers are related to the food we choose to eat or the food we don't eat. That is, when it comes to our diet there are two types of food. Those that cause cancer cells to grow and those that causes cancer cells to die so they can be eliminated by the body itself. To overcome a diagnosis of cancer one needs to remove the foods that stimulates our desires and causes the problem and change to the food that nourishes the body. A diet of freshly grown fruit and vegetables will do that.

Research into our natural food today reaffirms what Hippocrates said 2500 years ago, "Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food."

By Gerald W White

In my 17 years in the cancer fight, both as a patient and as a patient mentor, I have never ceased to wonder why patients with similar diseases had different results both in side effects and outcomes even though their treatments were identical. Over the years both physicians and researchers have begun to note that beliefs and attitudes about their disease and changing lifestyles could have a positive effect on the outcome. The question was asked whether a change in attitude relative to certain of life's events (sleep habits, stress, divorce, death of a loved one, problems at work, etc) could favorably affect outcomes. Out of these questions is dawning a new recognition of what has been called the EQ (emotional quotient) and how it could be more important in treating cancer than the IQ.

It is worthwhile to see how attitudes toward the role of the mind in healing have shifted throughout history. Let us briefly take a look at some significant points along the evolutionary path of cancer attitudes.

* Plato wrote that to treat the body without treating the mind was folly.
* The Greek physician Galen, about 140 AD, wrote that emotions have a great effect on the treatment of cancer.
* The mind/body relationship was a recurring theme in all medical books from early times until it began to disappear in the 1800's until its reappearance in the 1980's.
* Dr. Eugene Pendergrast, in his presidential address to the American Cancer Society in 1959, called for research into the role of the power within the mind in treating cancer.
* In 1975, Dr. Herb Benson of Harvard, wrote the landmark work "The Relaxation Response".
* In 1976, Dr. Frank Lawlis published "Imagery and Disease" which reported excellent results from Guided Imagery for cancer treatment.
* In 1981, Ader wrote the first book on psychoneuroimmunology. This book shows how our hopes and fears are directly and indirectly translated into physical health and illness.
* In 1983, there was published in JAMA (Volume 250) that effects of emotions such as grief can take direct neural paths to white cells that cause their activity to be suppressed. The discovery by Candace Pert of Yale that white blood cells have neural receptors provides describes the mechanism by which this is possible. Thus, we have two paths by which the mind can influence the immune system. One is the traditional glandular path through the endocrinal system and the other an instantaneous signal direct from the brain to the receiver antenna on the killer immune cells.

Personal case stories produced along the way are fascinating. Dr. Bruno Klopfer, generally regarded as the father of psycho/physiological medicine, in 1957 reported on the case of a man with metastatic cancer responding to treatment to the then promising drug, Corbyicin in which the patient had absolute confidence. He had a miraculous recovery that lasted until newspapers reported that Corbyicin has been shown to be of questionable value in the treatment of cancer. He then presented worse than before.

Dr. Klopfer, suspecting a strong mental role, told the man that he was then giving him an improved version and, without his knowledge, gave him sterile water with great fanfare. His tumors again went into remission until sometime later when he read that Corbyicin had been totally discredited. He presented in a comatose state and died two weeks later.

Perhaps the landmark text of all was not by a doctor but by a layman, Norman Cousins, then editor of the Saturday Review of Literature. His remarkable story which he titled "The Anatomy of An Illness", is certainly one of the greatest stories documenting the efficacy of triumphant attitudes in defeating an incurable disease ever written.

Such stories are continuing to this very day and increasing in number. Curiously enough, they all bear a startling commonality. This is a rapidly developing saga in which all patients are invited to participate.

Over the years since I have been involved in this work, the pleasantest memories are of those brave, determined individuals who put aside fear and focused on a program of mind/body medicine that ultimately led them down the wonderful path to remission. Counting back, there have been almost 300 such individuals, none of whom paid one thin dime for the experience. Unfortunately, there were countless others who, for a variety of reasons, just could not buy into the notion that mind/body medicine could be an effective approach to dealing with cancer.

As a former patient and member of the "three month club", I think I can well understand this. It seems that cancer patients are literally under siege from passionate suggestions from everyone from outright frauds to sincere well wishers touting some "sure fire" cancer cures. that they can no longer trust happiness. I one time remarked, as my mailbox swelled with this junk, that I couldn't see how cancer had survived as long as it has with all those "sure fire" cures out there. I once quipped in a speech at a symposium that I cannot understand how cancer has survived as long as it has with all those "sure fire cures" out there!

As I reflect on the following case, a thought occurs that might shed some light on the nagging question of why M/B medicine seems to work well for some patients and not so well for others.
This story is close to my heart as it involves someone from my distant past who was once very close to me. Several months ago and right out of the blue, I received an urgent phone call from one Buddy Hedges who was my best friend in high school and roommate in college over 50 years ago. As even the closest of friends are wont to do, we drifted apart over the years and it had been ages since I had contact with him. His daughter Jan had just been diagnosed with breast cancer that had already gone metastatic and he was quite upset.

She was also upset and even tearful that she would not be allowed to raise her children, an emotion that is typical in young mother patients. We spent a lot of time just trying to calm everybody down before we proceeded with an introduction to guided imagery. This I provided from my website as well as personal references right in her neighborhood whom I had successfully helped fight their way to remission. Many in her area had copies of my book and CD's from previous experiences and they were all eager to share. She immediately plunged headlong into three guided imagery sessions a day as I had originally suggested as well as some other means for relaxation therapy.

About three weeks later, I got another call from Buddy. This time he was euphoric. It seems that Jan had just been for more scans and the tumors were rapidly receding. Although I do not recommend this necessarily, she had previously refused chemo therapy. What a wonderful outcome in such a short time.

Experience has brought me to the opinion that it does not take long for the good guys of the immune system to do their job if one could just get them awake and working. Recently I heard from an elderly gentleman, also from the old home town, who reported a similar result with metastatic kidney cancer tumors. Then it came to me that my experiences with those folks who knew me " back when" were pushing 100% successful results.

The next question becomes, does this have any bearing on why, in a larger venue, some get well and others don't? Why does it seem to work better in patients from the home town than in the world in general? I now think I am beginning to understand the reason for this and I think it is reflected in the attitudes of the patient and those around him. It should not be implied that I consider myself a "healer". No, I am merely a conduit for information and some very good news.

Every time I hear a patient described as having a "good attitude", I try to ascertain exactly what is meant by "good attitude". Does it mean, for example, that they are fully compliant in everything their doctor tells them and never cloud the air with questions, or are they perhaps the more determined type who demand to know all they can about what is going on and have no hesitation to ask questions or go for second opinions if the answers they get are not satisfactory? I have come to believe that the sum total of all the little attitudes adds up to putting them into one of three "attitude categories".

* Negative attitude: "I have cancer and I will be dead in a year and nothing can be done to change it".
* Positive attitude: "I have cancer and that's alright because I will be fine in a year".
* Survivor's attitude: "I have cancer and I may or may not be dead in a year and the outcome depends to a great extent on what actions I take in the here and now".

Now it is obvious that the first attitude is bad and no more need to be said about this self fulfilling prophecy of doom. The second is not too much better because it totally disregards the seriousness of the disease. The third, on the other hand is the attitude of a warrior and woe be unto any cancer cell that gets in the way of such a determined person. Every case of "miracle remissions" that I have ever dealt with is characterized by the warrior attitude.

It appears that one of the significant factors in all the many successful home town cases I have worked with is the credibility that comes from a long lasting acquaintance. This can easily translate into confidence and from confidence to the survivor's attitude. Buddy knew full well that I was for real and that I had his families best interest at heart. It seems to be important that people come to feel that way about me (or anyone else for that matter) if they are to have any confidence in what I say.

Buddy also knew that I have never taken a dime of patients money for helping them as best I can. This confidence level is extremely difficult to convey to strangers although it can, has and should be done. I have learned to never make the first move in contacting a cancer patient. It is usually a waste of both our times and for good reason. Patients see far too many snake oil peddlers out for their money. The cancer wars bring out quintessential greed and avarice from all levels of exploitation, not excluding the halls of medicine.

The best way to develop a winning attitude is to become information based in all aspects of your disease. I realize this is easier said than done but the fact is, it can, and should, be done. One of the ways I have sought to deal with the credibility problem is to construct as patient friendly a website as I know how to do that shows patients how to get good information and, from personal examples of others who have done so, to extract realistic, information based hope.

This can be viewed at my website and I would encourage the reader to do so. It is not just my story there, but many others from experiences with many forms of cancer. These people welcome contacts from any and all. There is a suggested reading list that, if pursued will bring the patient quickly up to state of the art knowledge in the exciting new field of psychoneuroimmunology. Having seen this great long word, perhaps the reader will understand why we just call it mind/body medicine like the ancient Greeks did and let it go at that.

Those of us who have had numerous successes with mind/body medicine are typically viewed with suspicion that is very close to disdain by a skeptical public. On the other hand, an oncologist who has treated 100 patients with a particular cancer and lost 95 of them seems to enjoy the credibility accorded a specialist in the field. A funny thing about credibility is that it sometimes seems to defy logic.

If you find yourselves on the hurting end of the cancer stick, dare to reach out for information based hope. Knowledge is still power and ignorance is even deadlier when it comes to dealing with cancer. Develop that warriors attitude that allows you to take charge of your healing program for if you don't, somebody else will, and you probably won't like the outcome!

By Howard Gottlieb

Cancer kills millions of people every year. It is scary, depressing, and lonely. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to raise money to help cure and fight cancer while bringing people closer together? There is a way, and it is called the Relay for Life. This life changing experienced has raised millions of dollars for research for cancer. Not only has it helped save lives by raising money, but it has also saved lives by bringing people closer together. Cancer is scary and lonely; the Relay for Life teaches us that we don't have to fight this alone.

The Relay for Life raises millions of dollars for research through its cancer fundraiser walk, but it also creates friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. One way of doing this is by creating a Relay for Life theme. Each team can create a theme that will help them stand apart from the rest of the teams. It brings the teams closer together because it creates an excitement and a bond. The team can have anywhere from a hunters theme to an Indian theme. There is no limit to what kind of theme a team can have. It does need to be appropriate for children and adults for all ages.

Each team should have anywhere from 10-25 people on each team. If your team is brainstorming of different themes, there are a few things that you should think about. First, what brought the team together? Are you a group of co-workers, friends, moms, or relatives? What does the team have in common? What are the interests of the group, and how silly and wild is the team willing to get? These are all things that you should think about when creating a theme. The team will have a tent, so you need to think about how the team can incorporate the theme into the tent.

You want to make sure that the entire team will dress up in whatever costume you decide. A popular and funny theme is the cheerleader theme. The team finds or rents cheerleading costumes and creates cheers and chants that they yell on the day of the relay. It is very funny to see guys in little cheerleading costumes trying to do cartwheels and flips.

A Relay for Life theme is not necessary, but is strongly encouraged. Not only does it seem to raise more money, but it brings the team closer together. Cancer is a scary thing, fighting it with humor and a smile is a great way to find a cure.