IS CANCER DEFEATING MEDICAL SCIENCES?

“We won’t find a cure, but we’ll probably reach a point where we have so many ways to attack cancer that people won’t die from it anymore,”.

Why won’t we find a cure?

But why can’t we find the secret weapon to beat cancer once and for all?

One reason is that cancer is not just one disease--even individual tumours can vary substantially from one patient to the next and the same type of tumour in different parts of the body can respond differently to medication.

Just like any other organism, cancer cells are trying to survive, and they are very good at it. They quickly spread to multiple parts of the body, and they mutate constantly, rendering existing medicines ineffective.

“Cancer cells are very adaptive, especially when the cancer is at an advanced stage,”

Evolution can explain cancer

There are some similarities between cancer and the principle of evolution. Evolution is driven by natural selection, which means that organisms or cells that survive long-term are those that can adapt when their existence is challenged.

Cancer cannot be defined by location in body

Another complication is that any one cancer tumour can be unique and require specialised treatment. For example, a lung cancer tumour in one patient may more closely resemble throat cancer in someone else, than another case of the same type of cancer.

This means that the oncologists cannot diagnose based on where the cancer is found in the body alone. Further, they cannot simply use the same medicine to treat the same type of tumour in two different patients.

“It’s not unreasonable to think that we’ll overhaul our cancer classification system within the next ten years. It looks like more and more like we should look at what changes in people’s genetic material are behind the disease,” says Olsen.

Another problem is that cancer appears to develop due to completely different reasons from one person to another. This is down to our individual DNA.

“If we study 10,000 people who’ve been exposed to some substances that we know are carcinogenic, then perhaps just ten, five, or one per cent of those will develop cancer. Why? I think it’s down to the interaction between your genetic composition and external influences,”.

Protect yourself from cancer

Part of the fight against cancer is to try to prevent it developing in the first place. Or at least to develop early detection techniques to spot cases in time to stop the disease before it mutates and spreads.

We already know how to do that for a couple of types of cancer.

People develop cancer because of avoidable habits or lifestyle factors such as smoking, sunbathing without protection, unhealthy diet, exposure to HPV infections, or carcinogenic substances, and radioactivity.

“It’s important to remember that prevention and early diagnosis will be key players in the coming years when it comes to putting the brakes on cancer,”

Yoga Can Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Yoga Strengthens the Immune System

The goal of strengthening the immune system is to keep all the body’s systems working together. It takes a village: Failure of any one system threatens the health of the whole community. Cancer therapies that seek to strengthen the immune system are increasingly proving to be helpful in fighting a wide variety of cancers.

Research shows that yoga boosts immunity. A 2013 study in Norway found that regular practice of gentle yoga and meditation had a rapid effect at the genetic level in circulating cancer-fighting immune cells. Mindfulness meditation also appears to change the brain and immune function in positive ways.

Yoga Detoxifies the Body

Detoxification is the vital metabolic process by which dead cells and toxins (the flu virus, a rogue cancer cell, or another pathogen) are excreted from the body. Yoga is the muscle of the lymphatic system—the body’s plumbing and trash-removal system. Like how the heart muscle circulates blood, yoga increases lymphatic flow with specific breathing and movement practices. Inversions, a fundamental part of a strong yoga practice, utilize movement and body positioning to reverse the effects of gravity on our body, enhancing the process of cardiovascular and lymphatic drainage.

Another way in which yoga detoxifies the body is through compression. B. K. S. Iyengar called it the “squeeze and soak” process, which cleans internal organs in the same way that a sponge discharges dirty water when squeezed. For example, abdominal twists activate internal organs and guide the release of toxins into the lymphatic system.

Yoga detoxifies the mind as well. A survivor lives with the fear of cancer returning, and this daily anxiety is a mental toxin. We can detoxify the mind by using the movement of the breath, by relaxing into gravity in a restorative pose, and by quietly watching our thoughts in meditation.

Yoga Builds Bones

How are strong bones linked to cancer prevention? Our bones house bone marrow, where new red and white blood cells are constantly being produced. White blood cells are needed to form leukocytes, our natural cancer-fighting immune cells. If our bones are compromised from a break or from osteoporosis (a side effect of chemotherapy), so too is the production of a nourishing blood supply and immune protection.

A pilot study by Kripalu presenter Loren Fishman, MD, applied yoga practice to sufferers of osteoporosis (decrease in bone mass) and osteopenia (reduction in bone volume). The results showed that 85 percent of the yoga practitioners gained bone in both the spine and hip, while nearly every member of the control group maintained or lost bone mass. I believe yoga is safer for strong bone building than many gym routines because it puts weight on the bones in a precise, deliberate way.

Yoga Reduces Stress 

Cancer patients and survivors experience stress like that endured by military veterans. They are bombarded by frightening information, subjected to invasive procedures, and must endure cold clinics and blank stares.

A 2009 study of cancer survivors developed and tested a concept that measures how we respond to “post-traumatic stress growth,” the positive flip side to suffering with stress. This growth occurs when people make the traumatic event a pivotal point in their life, changing their situation by making lemonade out lemons—ultimately thriving after cancer, for instance. The thriving survivor enjoys her blissful moments, which can lead to further change and the ability to find positive ways to manage stress.

Yoga can enhance that positivity. The results of a 2009 study on the effects of yoga on emotions found an increase in positive emotions such as calmness and a sense of purpose in more than 50 percent of subjects. Women participating in a 10-week program of restorative yoga classes gained positive differences in aspects of mental health such as depression, positive emotions, and spirituality (feeling calm and peaceful), as compared to the control group.

Yoga Aids Weight Management

Obesity is a key, if not the largest, indicator of both cancer incidence and recurrence. In the United States, excess body weight is thought to contribute to as many as one out of five cancer-related deaths and being overweight or obese is clearly linked with an increased risk of several types of cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that obese individuals increase weekly exercise to 300 minutes per week to reduce the chances of cancer or recurrence.

Research on the impact of yoga on weight gain is still in the early stages. One study showed that yoga had a more positive impact on obesity and depression than aerobic exercise. While yoga for cancer survivors often focuses on gentle or restorative yoga methods (which are necessary and beneficial approaches), it can and should be active, and therefore calorie burning—while also being safe, physically accessible, welcoming, and inclusive. Yoga can help cancer survivors manage weight gain, which improves self-esteem and the ability to function normally, and ultimately reduces the risk of recurrence and mortality.

The benefits of yoga for cancer prevention are profound and well substantiated. For yoga teachers who work with cancer survivors and those in treatment, having specific knowledge about the benefits and modifications for this community is imperative. Teachers must understand the limitations and requirements to support this community to practice effectively and safely.

             Pranayama and Cancer Prevention

Breathing exercises can help combat Cancer

Cancer is a category of disease distinguished by mutation in the normal cell growth. It has been identified that there are over a hundred differing types of cancer, and each is classed by the kind of cell that it first affects.

Current research has shown that beyond these subtle effects, pranayama has numerous observable health benefits. Several studies provide evidence that yogic breathing exercises help to induce a relaxed state by enhancing the action of the parasympathetic nervous system (otherwise known as the “rest-and-digest response”).

Researchers at the University of California – San Francisco investigated how the health benefits of pranayama specifically apply to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The study had two aims:

1.      To determine whether it’s feasible for patients undergoing chemotherapy to practice pranayama

2.      To gauge the effect of pranayama on common chemotherapy-associated symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbance, stress, anxiety, depression) and quality of life (QOL)

Patients in the study were separated into a treatment group and control group: the treatment group received the pranayama intervention during two consecutive cycles of chemo; the control group received only typical care during their first chemo cycle and the pranayama intervention during the second.

The pranayama intervention consisted of a 60-minute class once a week and daily home practice of 20-30 minutes twice a day. Patients were taught four pranayama techniques: Breath Observation, Ujjayi (Victoriously Uprising Breath), Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath), and Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath).

The treatment group saw improvements in stress, sleep disturbance, anxiety and mental quality of life (QOL) throughout both cycles of chemo. The control group experienced a worsening of sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression and mental QOL during the first cycle of chemo, and improvements in all these symptoms during the second. For patients in both groups, the more time spent practicing pranayama (either at home or in class), the greater the improvement observed in symptoms and QOL.

Previous studies have implemented a variety of yogic techniques such as asana, meditation and pranayama practiced in combination. In contrast, the results of this study indicate that practicing pranayama by itself is more feasible for patients in chemotherapy due to its ease of use: it requires no equipment, is relatively easy to learn and can be practiced at any time, even while patients receive chemo infusions. The class attendance rate was comparatively high and patients spent more time practicing at home than in prior studies in this area.

The researchers concluded that pranayama is appropriate, beneficial, and can be safely recommended for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Further study in this area will hopefully offer even more definitive evidence of pranayama’s efficacy.

Below are instructions for the four breathing techniques taught to and practiced by patients in the study.

Breath Observation

Sit or lie in a comfortable position. Breathe naturally. Avoid forcing, controlling or manipulating your breath. Shift your attention to your breath. Simply observe and experience it without any judgment. You might notice the soft whispering sound the breath creates; how long or short the breath is; how deep or shallow it feels; or where in your body you feel the breath most noticeably. At certain points during this practice, you might notice that your mind is no longer focused on the breath. When this happens, acknowledge that the mind has wandered and gently guide it back to the breath.

Ujjayi (Victoriously Uprising Breath)

Sit or lie in a comfortable position. Keeping the mouth closed, inhale and exhale through the nose. Partially close the glottis (the opening between the vocal folds) by slightly constricting the muscles at the back of the throat. The action in these muscles should feel the same as when you exhale your breath onto a mirror to create fog. As the muscles contract, you’ll notice that your breath creates a soft whispering sound similar to the sound of the ocean. Continue to create this sound with the breath and find a steady rhythm, breathing in for the same amount of time that you breathe out.

                  

Kapalabhati* (Skull Shining Breath)

Sit comfortably in an upright position and bring your attention to your lower belly. It can be helpful to rest one or two hands on the belly below the navel. Breathe in deeply then exhale completely. Inhale about halfway; then begin a series of short, sharp exhalations by pumping the abdomen. After forcing the air out by contracting the abdomen, release the belly and passively inhale. Repeat this several times. Start with however many breath cycles (one inhale and one exhale) you can comfortably do, then relax and breathe normally. Gradually over time, increase the number of cycles.

*Kapalabhati is not recommended if you are pregnant or suffer from high or low blood pressure, glaucoma, cardiac issues, or hernia.

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath)

Sit comfortably in an upright position. Spread the fingers of the right hand. Create Vishnu Mudra by curling the right index and middle fingers in towards the palm, while the thumb, ring finger and pinky remain extended. Hold the right hand just beside the nose as you take a deep breath in through both nostrils. Close the right nostril with the thumb then exhale through the left. Inhale through the left, close both nostrils by lightly touching the ring finger to the left nostril and the thumb to the right. Lift the thumb and exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril, close both, then lift the ring finger and exhale through the left. Continue for several cycles of breath.

                 How pranayama works in cancer