LA JOLLA, CA—The so-called “War on Cancer,” declared by former President Nixon more than 30 years ago is misguided. What we really need is an all-out war on carcinogenesis, said Mitchell Gaynor, MD, at the 3rd annual Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine Nutritional Supplements conference.
“Billions have been spent on searching for a ‘cure for cancer.’ Yet, cancer mortality has not really decreased, and incidence for most kinds of cancer has actually increased. In 2005, cancer surpassed cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the US in people under age 85,” said Dr. Gaynor, clinical professor of medicine at Weill–Cornell Medical College, and director of Gaynor Integrative Oncology in New York City.
Board certified in oncology, Dr. Gaynor is a pioneer in the use of nutrition, herbs, and other natural therapies for cancer. He believes mainstream medicine has missed the mark about what’s really driving cancer incidence: environmental toxins. “There’s no difference between the external environment and the internal environment. Everything that’s ‘out there’ also ends up inside.”
According to Dr. Gaynor, there’s no mystery about what’s causing most cancers. The mystery is why medicine has been so ineffective in facing them. “People feel that environmental damage is so abstract or that it’s futile to try to change anything. I believe it is the most important personal and professional endeavor we can embark upon. All of you need to become activists—for your own health, your childrens’ health, and your children’s children’s health,” said Dr. Gaynor, whose most recent book is Nurture Nature, Nurture Health (available from www.nurturenaturepress.com).
It Ain’t All In the Genes
Biomedicine’s love affair with genetics has led to a mistaken assumption that most cancers are genetically determined. The truth is, most cancer risk is environmental (diet, lifestyle and ecology). Data from identical twin sets show that twins seldom develop the same cancers, despite identical genotypes. “For breast, colon and prostate cancer, the average concordance is only 20%, tops.”
Even cancers with a strong genetic link are not “just genetic.” Dr. Mary-Clare King studied cancer incidence in women who have the BRCA 1 or 2 mutations. According to current estimates, a woman with these mutations has an 82% lifetime risk of breast cancer.
But when King looked at serum samples and medical records of women with BRCA mutations born before versus after 1940, she found a striking difference. Those born before 1940 had a 24% lifetime risk; for those born after 1940 it was 67%. Ovarian cancer risk was 2-fold higher for BRCA1 carriers and 23% higher for BRCA2 carriers born after 1940 (King MC, et al. Science. 2003; 302(5645): 643–646).
Increased longevity is a common default explanation for findings like this; one could argue that women born after 1940 live longer, thus increasing the odds of cancer. How then, do we explain the rise in childhood cancers? Childhood lymphomas have increased by 30% or more since 1973, childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia has increased by 20%, and brain tumors have increased by 21%. Longevity has no bearing on childhood cancers, said Dr. Gaynor.
The reality is, after World War II, there was a massive global increase in use of synthetic chemicals, along with equally massive increases in industrial waste and emissions from automobile engines.
From Absolute Proof to Precautionary Principles
There are approximately 80,000 man-made chemicals in wide use. Roughly 3,000 are in high-volume use. Most did not exist prior to the 1940s; 90% have not been thoroughly tested for human health effects. Only 43% have been tested at all, and just 7% have been tested for effects on human development. Why are the medical authorities that readily decry the alleged dangers of “unregulated” dietary supplements, so silent about this?
Environmental issues, said Dr. Gaynor, should be a main focus of cancer medicine. Sadly, economic incentives work against this. “There’s a lot of money to be made causing cancer, and a lot to be made ‘treating’ it, but there’s not a lot of money in preventing it.”
He believes medical thinking must shift away from absolute proof toward precautionary principles. “We wasted 50 years debating whether cigarettes caused cancer, because there was no ‘definitive proof.'” It wasn’t until the 1990s, when benzopyrene, a toxin in cigarette smoke, was shown to knock out p53 (a gene controlling cell division), that antismoking policy and suits against Big Tobacco became viable. Must we wait another 50 years for final proof that PCBs, dioxin, furans, PBDs, particulate matter, and heavy metals cause human illness?
Dr. Gaynor cited a 1998 editorial by Richard Horton, editor in chief of The Lancet: “We must analyze the possible benefits and costs of action and inaction. Where there are significant risks of damage to the public health, we should be prepared to take action to diminish those risks even when the scientific knowledge is not conclusive, if the balance of likely costs and benefits justifies it.”
Public health policy must be retooled to protect children. Because of their size, children absorb far more environmental toxins, pound for pound, than adults. Yet standards for “safe” exposure—for the relatively few industrial chemicals with established standards—are based on data from adult males.
The Bush administration, said Dr. Gaynor, seems bent on reversing many hard-won pollution regulations. The administration recently rolled back former President Clinton’s mandate for technology development to remove all mercury from coal-burning plant emissions by 2008. Coal fired plants release roughly 68,000 pounds of mercury each year, according to the EPA. “Bush extended the deadline to 2018. More mercury simply means more people suffering.”
Industry looks at environmental issues in terms of cost. Public health advocates should do the same. “The big polluters complain that it costs them too much to comply, and existing regulations are overly burdensome. Yet the health costs from pollution are simply staggering.” According to Philip Landrigan, MD, pollution-related illness costs us $54.9 billion annually. Lead poisoning accounts for about $43 billion; asthma is another $2 billion; childhood cancers are about $0.3 billion (Landrigan P. Env Health Perspec. 2002; 110(7)). Guess who pays?
Leading by Example
A fixation with genes and chemo-cocktails, has blinded many doctors to the bigger environmental issues that drive the cancer epidemic. Dr. Gaynor believes doctors must lead by example. Smart, eco-conscious purchasing is a good start.
For one, minimize use of plastics, especially plastic wraps. “Heating plastic wrap with olive oil in a microwave results in concentrations of xenoestrogens 500,000 times greater than the minimum needed to induce cancer cells in vitro.” Polyethylene bowls (Tupperware) are better. Glass or ceramic containers are best.
Buy “green” detergents and cleaning products. “Most people think cleaning products are safe because if they were not, the government wouldn’t allow them on the market.” This is a na?ve assumption. For example, most dishwasher detergents contain chlorine and phosphates and release carcinogenic volatile organic compounds. Chlorine bleach is carcinogenic, not to mention toxic to the lungs. Use hydrogen peroxide rather than bleach—it is a far safer choice.
Simple, natural compounds are often as effective for household and office cleaning as synthetics. They’re usually cheaper, too. Baking soda is excellent for cleaning sinks, tubs and toilets. Vinegar in a spray bottle is as effective as commercial glass cleaners for windows and mirrors. Vegetable oil with lemon juice is a great furniture polish.
Minimize dry cleaning; the chemicals used are bad for the environment and bad for health. Choose carpeting and upholstery made of jute, cotton or wood fiber. Synthetic materials emit formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic. Look for the American National Standards Institute “Low Formaldehyde Emission” tag on carpeting, upholstery and other household fabrics.
Dr. Gaynor recommended the Green Guard (www.greenguard.org) and the Organic Trade Association (www.ota.com) for further green purchasing information.
In the Summer 2006 edition of Holistic Primary Care: Part Two of Dr. Gaynor’s lectures at Scripps, outlining effective use of antioxidants, botanical medicines and other natural therapies for cancer.
