The Cancer Code

Books · Health

(Read this in December 2020, but added to Notion only in Feb 2021)

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The Cancer Code

Summary

  1. Cancer is basically uncontrollable cell growth. Benign tumors are cancerous but don’t grow. Malignant tumors continue growing. This cell growth happens because of accumulated genetic mutations
  2. Haeflic limit — human cells can only replicate 40-70 times before stopping. But cancer cells can be replicated indefinitely. The ability to invade other tissues and metastatize is what makes cancer lethal
  3. A high level of lymphocytes can really increase risk of them turning into cancer cells
  4. Inflammation is a risk for cancer, but many kinds of cancers only develop after many years of chronic inflammation
  5. Lowered insulin decreases cancer risk. High insulin is strongly linked to cancer risk. Exogenous insulin also increases cancer risk. Metformin decreases cancer risk, because it decreases need for insulin
  6. Normal cells don’t function well in an acidic environment. But cancer cells can. They use anaerobic respiration, and use primarily glucose+glutamine to grow and divide. Acidity gives cancer cells a big survival advantage
  7. Calorie restrictive diets have been linked to lower cancer risks in animals, including monkeys. Ditto for intermittent fasting
  8. Green tea has early promising signs in reducing cancer risk and has no negative side effects
  9. A ramped up immune system, or an infection of the cancer site, can often kill cancer
  10. Immunotherapy — activating killer T cells — is the most promising developing treatment against cancer

Highlights

An overview of cancer

Obesity is not a caloric problem. It’s a hormonal one. When someone’s hormones are out of whack, it’s difficult for them to control insulin and hunger pangs

Cancer is basically uncontrollable cell growth. Benign tumors are cancerous but don’t grow. Malignant tumors continue growing. This cell growth happens because of accumulated genetic mutations

Cancer cells resist apoptosis, causing uncontrolled cell growth

Haeflic limit — human cells can only replicate 40-70 times before stopping. But cancer cells can be replicated indefinitely

The ability to invade other tissues and metastatize is what makes cancer lethal

Cancer cells use anaerobic respiration almost exclusively, which is strange

Cancer cells escape killer T cells

Carcinogens cause mutations in cells, which eventually causes cancer

There are a bunch of natural things that are carcinogenic, like wood dust

Antioxidants can reduce free radicals, and may lead to fewer instances of cancer

Some cancers — like birquits lymphoma — are caused by viruses

High lymphocytes level can really increase risk of them turning into cancer cells

Many kinds of cancers only develop after many years of chronic inflammation

Lifestyle and diet can have a dramatic impact on cancer proclivity. High carbs and refined sugar are linked to cancer

Nutrition and cancer

Folate blockers prevent cancer symptoms in existing patients. B12 and folate supplements are linked to increased cancer risk

Lowered insulin decreases cancer risk. High insulin is strongly linked to cancer risk

Increasing added insulin also increases cancer risk

Metmorphin decreases cancer risk, because it decreases need for insulin

Tall people get more cancer, as they have more tissue mass

Rhapamycin is useful against cancer, but is toxic

Normal cells don’t function well in an acidic environment. But cancer cells can. They use anaerobic respiration, and use primarily glucose+glutamine to grow and divide

Acidity gives cancer cells a big survival advantage

Pap smears are really useful in early screening. Mammograms are not

Colorectal and cervical cancers are more orderly and metastatize in a well defined fashion. While breast cancer is much more random. Ditto for prostrate cancer

Calorie restrictive diets have been linked to lower cancer risks in animals, including monkeys. Ditto for intermittent fasting

Green tea has early promising signs and has no negative side effects

A ramped up immune system, or an infection of the cancer site, can often kill cancer

Immunotherapy — activating killer T cells — is the most promising developing treatment against cancer