Cancer - Things To Know

On behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I'd like to dedicate this article to my Tia Sãozinha, Vovó Dulce, and my good friend Amy Hoff, as well as anyone else that has struggled with cancer or is currently battling cancer.

In the past several months, I've been doing research on causes of cancer and natural ways to treat it. I prefer natural remedies for just about anything, because it's the safest form of treatment and I believe nature's medicine was put on this Earth to use when needed, not waste thousands of dollars on. My curiosity began when I found out a family member was diagnosed with lung cancer after being on complete remission of uterine cancer. She told me it started when doctors prescribed post-menopause hormonal pills and years later, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, so I started digging for information.

According to the Susan G. Komen website & Women's Health Initiative (WHI), Menopause Hormonal Therapy can put women at a higher risk for breast and uterine cancer. WHI conducted two trials using Estrogen Therapy (ET) and Estrogen-Progestin Therapy (EPT). One study showed that about 1 in 9 women treated with ET for 3 years developed a type of pre-cancerous change in their endometrium (lining of the uterus) called atypical hyperplasia. Women treated with EPT didn't experience this change any more than women not taking any hormones. However, the women taking EPT had a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared with those who did not take hormones. Basically, if 10,000 women took EPT for a year, this would add up to about 8 more cases of breast cancer per year than if they had not taken hormone therapy. The longer hormone therapy is being used, the greater the risk becomes, which could result in needing chemotherapy treatments. 

Most patients diagnosed with cancer have to go through chemotherapy, which is a potent treatment for cancer that kills not only bad cells, but good cells as well, weakening the body's immune system. Chemo tends to leave a metallic taste in people's mouths as well as painful sores making it hard for them to eat. In addition to that, doctors will prescribe pain killers for patients that have cancer pain, often causing nausea, affecting their appetite even more, and resulting in immense weight loss. Yes, chemotherapy has helped many people treat and fight cancer, but what if I told you that there is a natural, cheap way to help speed up the process of chemotherapy, kill the bad cells and not the good ones, but actually stimulate healthy cell growth along with strengthening the body's immune system? Sounds too good to be true right? Well, I have great news for you. 

There's a fruit called Soursop that people have consumed for numerous years to fight illnesses, mainly including cancer, and has worked wonders. Other popular names for it are Guanabana, Graviola, Annona, and Coração de Negro. It's a green, hard shelled fruit with white pulp on the inside grown in almost any tropical or hot climate areas. After finding out about this gem through a friend, I googled 'Guanabana.' Every website listed was linked to stories about people that have treated cancer using this natural miracle and have prolonged their lifespan up to 12-20 years when doctors doubtfully told them they wouldn't live more than just a few months. Studies starting in 1976 by the National Cancer Institute and in recent years at Purdue University, show that the key components of the tree, substances known as annonaceous acetogenins, are found to be potent inhibitors of cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. I asked a doctor about taking this fruit for cancer and he kept avoiding the question and said, "anything cancer patients take have to be reported to their doctors." Doctors won't make any funding out of this because it comes from Mother Nature. Not only is this fruit good to treat cancer, it strengthens the immune system, boosts energy levels, lowers blood pressure, regulates the digestive system, gets rid of infections, helps with skin disorders, and heals body aches and pains. It's the ultimate healer! Its main nutrients are Calcium, Folate, Iron, Potassium, Sodium, Vitamin B and C. Most of the nutrients are in the tea leaves, so I ordered them on Amazon.com, as well as Graviola capsules and tried it myself. The tea already has a nice, natural sweet flavor so I didn't need to add any honey like I usually do with other tea flavors. The capsules along with the tea have helped me have more energy in the mornings and a better mood throughout the day. I also hardly have any stomach pain and I've dealt with stomach issues my entire life.I don't have cancer, but if it can help prevent cancer and boost my immune system, along with overall health, then I'm going to say yes to taking soursop. Please note, it is not recommended for people with Parkinson's disease and neurodegenerative disorders. 

I'm not saying this should be taken instead of having chemotherapy treatments, but I do recommend taking it to assist with the progress of chemo as it can be very beneficial, as well as taking it for better overall health. Above all, remember to eat healthy, stay active, perform monthly breast self-exams, and get annual check ups. Check for cancer, don't let it check you! For questions or more information on breast cancer, or if you'd like to donate to the Susan G. Komen foundation, visit www.komen.org.