Fight liver cancer

Lynette Bisconti discovered she was pregnant on Christmas Day 1997. But what looked like a holiday gift would soon turn into a New Year's nightmare when a routine doctor's visit revealed a cancerous lump in her breast.

Bisconti's surgeon insisted that she have an immediate abortion. However, the next night, she awoke with blood running down her legs. That's when the mother-to-be determined to fight not only for her life, but also for the life of her unborn child. Bisconti consulted with dozens of medical experts and traveled to eight different hospitals in a desperate search for options that would save their lives.

"I was OK with not being treated, having the baby, and dying, but I couldn't accept death without a fight," Bisconti says. "I wasn't willing to believe what any individual doctor told me. I spent days on the Internet researching my disease."

Nutrition Intervention

After her mastectomy, Bisconti opted for fractioned doses of chemotherapy. To avoid exposing her unborn child to more chemicals, she refused anfinausea medications and estrogen supplements, instead turning to nutrition to help her recover.

"I knew if didn't change the conditions that allowed the cancer to grow, I wouldn't survive," Bisconti says, recalling her high-stress job and poor eating habits. "I traveled constantly, and my diet consisted mostly of airport and restaurant food. Changing my nutrition habits was a key to overcoming the cancer."

The Cancer Prevention Diet

While some cancer is caused by smoking or genetic factors that can't be controlled, there is a diet that can help prevent the disease from developing in otherwise healthy people.

"There is no bullet-proof protection against cancer," says Tim Birdsall, ND, a naturopathic physician at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. "However, there's plenty of research to show that diet plays a significant role in preventing the disease." Birdsall recommends what he calls the "cancer prevention diet" to reduce the risk. The diet unfolds in seven steps.

1. Eat a rainbow assortment of fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables contain cancer-fighting substances-and most of them are associated with the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that create their color. Birdsall says eating a spectrum of colorful fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, carrots and squash offers your body a wide variety of these agents.

2. Reduce your exposure to chemical contaminants.

Pesticides, insecticides and other chemical contaminants in food and water may increase the risk of cancer. Avoiding them typically means eating organic produce that is locally produced whenever possible. Experts also recommend having your water pipes tested for copper, which can speed cancer growth, staying away front multivitamins with copper and limiting your intake of copper-rich shellfish.

3. Reduce your intake of animal products.

Cutting back on high-fat animal products such as bacon, burgers and cheese is important, Birdsall says, because chemicals and hormones from animal feed tend to concentrate in the animal's fat. Eating lean cuts of beef and chicken-along with switching to low-fat dairy, products--can reduce your risk of exposure to hormones and other chemicals.

4. Balance fat intake.

As more and more studies point to tire link between obesity and breast cancer, the importance of lowering your fat intake becomes clear. Birdsall says eliminating saturated fats from your diet and replacing them with healthful omega-3 fats found in fish has numerous health benefits.

5. Avoid junk food.

Avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient foods such as candy and sugary soft drinks. These empty calories will only increase your risk of obesity and drain your body of much-needed nutrients.

6. Balance your potassium and sodium intake.

Birdsall says tart a large number of people have diets that are far too high in sodium and far too low in potassium. Increasing your intake of potassinm-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits and grains--and decreasing your intake of junk food as noted above-can help you balance your levels of these two key minerals and reduce your risk of cancer.

7. Detoxify your body.

Eating plenty of fiber helps rid your intestinal tract of toxins and wastes so that your body maintains a healthful balance of good bacteria. Antioxidants in supplement form may also help the detoxification process.

Today, the 40-year old Bisconti is a cancer survivor, patient advocate and mother of a healthy, active 6-year-old boy named Frankie, Jr. What sort of dietary changes did she make? Bisconti cut out all sugar from her diet, and she now relies mostly on vegetables, trails, trots, seeds and whole grains to fuel her cured body. Dietary supplements, including a multivitamin, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, a digestive enzyme and mushroom extract--which naturopaths believe contains anticancer agents--are also part of her daily regimen.

Promising Alternatives

Currently, clinical trials are under way flint offer new hope to women seeking alternative methods in their fight against cancer. Naturopaths are developing combinations of antioxidants that can help reduce the negative side effects of--and improve the effectiveness of--chemo and radiation therapies while also helping to prevent the recurring malignancies that are suffered by about 10 percent of long-term cancer survivors.

"Normal cells have control mechanisms for absorbing antioxidants, like vitamins C, E and beta-carotene," says Dr. Kedar Prasad of Premier Micronutrient Corporation, a national provider of micronutrient supplements. "Patients can receive high doses of antioxidants, and their normal cells accept only what they need to function. How ever, cancer cells appear to have lost their control mechanisms, and therefore excess antioxidants inhibit and kill them."

The Diet Difference

Experts say that a switch to a whole foods diet composed of complex carbohydrates, vegetable sources of protein and high fiber content can make a dramatic difference in the fight against cancer. "Antioxidants like vitamins C, E, selenium and glutathione support the liver detoxification mechanisms and protect organs from damage," says Sam Russo, ND, a naturopathic doctor at the Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic in Brattleboro, Vermont. "Focusing on olive oil, fish oil and flaxseed oil as primary sources of fat is part of a solid cancer prevention diet."

Hope for the Future

While data from the American Cancer Society shows survival rates are increasing, cancel is still fatal for many especially when it isn't detected early. Bisconti was blessed, but in many cases, quality of life becomes the focus of attention for the patient and his or her family in the face of late-stage cancer.

Emmy-winning composer Misha Segal watched tearfully as his mother, friend, inspiration and biggest fan suffered during a fight against lung cancer. When doctors gave her 6 months to live, Segal turned away from composing film and television scores and focused his musical talent on helping his mother. For hours on end, he played poignant melodies to help her forget the pain.

"For 6 years I dedicated myself to finding alternative treatments, nutritional approaches and clinical trials to keep her alive," Segal says. "I lost the battle for her life 3 years ago. But I am dedicated to winning the war."

Segal is winning that war through a musical lung cancer awareness campaign. He understands that breast cancer may be making most of the headlines, but lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. In the past 50 years, there has been a 600 percent increase in the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer. The disease is fatal for 86 percent of victims within 5 years of a diagnosis.

For his part, Segal travels to hospitals across the country to bring that same body of music, called "Female," to other female lung cancer patients. "I'm turning this tragedy into something productive and positive" he says. "I never claim to play healing music but it's turned into a magnificent crusade."