In 2006, Harvard Men’s Health Watch stated that “About 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and some 560,000 will die from the disease” (Exercise and Malignancy 5). Many individuals and families have fought the battle of cancer for a number of years. There is not yet a perfect cure for this number one deadliest disease, and it is unknown how long it will take to find one. While many risk factors of developing cancer cannot be changed such as genetics, environmental carcinogens (substances that cause cancer), or a certain number of hormones, fortunately, there are several studies that show there are ways to somewhat reduce the risk of cancer. It is not possible to be immune, but by following a nutritional diet and developing a physically active lifestyle, it is possible to reduce the risk of cancer immensely.
Many substances or factors cause cancer, but any type of cancer develops the same way. Normally, the cells that make up the body grow and then divide. Eventually these cells die and new cells are produced. Cancer results from a mutation that has altered the DNA that make up a cell. These mutations affect certain cancer genes that are in the body, tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Tumor suppressors tell the cell to slow down cell division which prevents the cells from over-dividing. Cancer mutations destroy these genes, causing cells to divide uncontrollably. Mutations also affect an oncogene, which tells the cell when to grow. These mutations keep oncogenes in an “active state”, causing an overproduction of cells (Gibbs 60). The body does not need these extra cells and may become a mass, or a tumor. Fortunately, not all tumors become cancer. A tumor that is not cancerous is called a be...
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Gaskell, Karen Jean. "Exercise & Cancer Prevention." LIVESTRONG.COM. Lance Armstrong Foundation, 23 Mar. 2010. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
"What Is Cancer?" Cancer.gov. National Cancer Institute, 29 July 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
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Reynolds, Gretchen. "Phys Ed: Does Exercise Reduce Your Cancer Risk?" Editorial. Well. The New York Times, 18 Aug. 2009. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
"BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing." Cancer.gov. National Cancer Institute, 29 May 2009. Web. 1 Oct. 2011.
...ll, B, Willett, W, Manson, J, Leitzmann, M, Stampfer, M, Hunter, D, & Colditz, G (2001), 'Physical activity and mortality: a prospective study among women', American Journal Of Public Health, 91, 4, pp. 578-583
A mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer
Tumors are formed by the alteration of the body’s own cells. This can be caused by environmental factors such as radiation, like UV exposure, chemicals or viruses 1. These can disrupt genes that control growth and cause an increase in cell division and proliferation. Proto-oncogenes are those genes that control normal but essential cell processes that keep cell growth and death in check. Two important categories are apoptosis genes, which regulate cell death, and tumor suppressor genes, which decrease cell propagation 1 . If these genes were mutated to the point where they cannot produce a functioning protein, cell division would continue far past what it was supposed to and unhealthy cells would be allowed to live and continue to multiply. This is what creates a malignant tumor. Certain conditions in the body can also promote the growth of cancer cells. One of these is a deficiency of natural killer (NK) cells, which are able to kill cancer cells by creating a pore in the cell membrane with perforin and releasing granzymes into the cell. Low levels of perforin allow for tumor growth 1. Chronic inflammation can also ...
Healthy cells grow and divide in a way to keep your body functioning properly. But when a cell is damaged and becomes cancerous, cells continue to divide, even when new cells aren't...
Research has shown that obesity increases the chances of getting cancer. Cancer linked to obesity includes uterus, cervix, ovary, breast, and gallbladder. A report by the American Cancer Society says that when a person has a BMI that is 40% or more above the normal, the risk of conducting cancer increases by 53% for women and 33% by men. A study published in the journal of the American Medical Association found that a women who gained at least 45 pounds since the age 18, were twice as likely to obtain breast cancer than a person who gained less than 5 pounds. The American Institute for Cancer Research released a report saying that 40% of all cancer cases could be avoided if they maintained a healthy diet and exercise regimen to maintain a normal body weight.
Usually, normal cells die when they are old or damaged, newly grow cells will replace them. However, if something goes wrong, there may be too many new cells when the body only needs a few of them, and the body can’t get rid of old cells, it builds up a mass of tissue called tumor. There are two types of tumor, begin or malignant. Begin tumors are usually not harmful to human body, however, malignant tumors could be life threatening. This type of tumors will invade organs and tissues around them, travel through blood vessels or lymph vessels, attach to other tissues and destroy them. Malignant tumors arise in breast tissues and cause breast cancer.
Vastag, Brian. "FDA Reviews Expanded Claims On Health Benefits Of Certain Foods." JNCI: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 96.16 (2004): 1198-1199.
Cancer is a disease that affects human somatic cells. It causes the cells to divide uncontrollably and form masses known as tumors. There are two different types of cancer tumors. Some tumors are benign and other tumors are malignant. Benign tumors look similar to the tissues that they came from and develop slowly. The tumor remains in the same area that the tumor originated in. Malignant tumors are formed from cells that do not resemble the tissue that they came from. They vary in shape and size. This enables pieces of the tumor to break off and spread to other places in the body. Over the past few decades cancer has become a very prominent disease. There are many different types of cancer and many different causes for the the disease. Most cancers are because of a genetic mutation. The most common type occur when a cell is dividing. Proto-oncogenes, which are alleles in a normal cells, mutate to form oncogenes. These oncogenes cause cancer because they do not allow the cells to self destruct or become epistatic. There have been several research projects which have been testing epistatis.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1996). Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Nutrition and fitness play two of the most important roles in human health, and it is not difficult to understand some of the consequences for ignoring their significance. Ignoring proper nutritional and fitness habits can lead to extreme health risks such as obesity; most of which will eventually cause serious health issues up to and including death. To decrease these serious health risks and promote favorable personal health, one should incorporate positive nutritional and fitness habits.
The majority of people in this society try to exercise and eat right to stay healthy. The problem is that they worry more about exercising and not getting good nutrition. They do not understand that exercise is not enough to be healthy. In order to be healthy, people should be aware of what they eat. This may not be easy for everyone, but one can get support from family and friends in order for it to be easy. Good nutrition is more important than regular exercise because it helps in losing weight, helps to fuel the body, prevent the risk of getting diseases, and helps building muscles.
In addition, limited data indicate that the prevalence of specific harmful BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may vary among individual racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and non-Hispanic white.
Paffenbarger, R. (1996). Physical Activity and Fitness for Health and Longevity. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sports, 67(3), 11-30.
Therefore, understanding the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle can help encourage healthier choices. There are a number of diseases that can result from living an unhealthy lifestyle such as type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Type 2 diabetes is defined as a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. Cardiovascular disease which includes heart attacks, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, damages blood vessels, places high levels of stress on the heart and ultimately may lead to a stroke. Due to living an unhealthy lifestyle an individual also increases the chance of being diagnosed with prostate, esophagus, kidney or pancreatic cancer. It is clear that there is a connection between lifestyle choices and chronic disease. According to the article “Chronic Diseases As a Result of Poor Lifestyle Choices” the author, Pan Koenig states that “A diet of fast food, highly processed or salty foods and large amounts of starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, cereal, baked goods, sweets, sugary drinks, alcohol excess, overeating and lack of exercise are the primary causes of obesity”(5). It is clear that eating unhealthy foods will give an individual harmful diseases. Therefore, to prevent a life full of pain and disease an individual must begin to change and improve their quality of life today, but one cannot accomplish this on their own
Access to Health: Kindle Edition Text Chapter 15: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Text Chapter 16: Reducing Your Cancer Risk Presentation: Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Presentation: Minimizing Your Risk for Diabetes http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/109/25/3244.