As everyone knows, cancer cells are characterized by cell gene mutations, which lead to unrestricted replication and proliferation of cells, and then leave the original environment to perform local or distant metastasis. At present, the best way to treat cancer is “early detection and early treatment.” Dr. Mingfeng Chen, the director of the Department of Auxiliary and Integrated Medicine at the E-Da Cancer Treatment Hospital with 30 years of professional anti-cancer clinical experience, mentioned in the “Rebirth from the Fire-Cancer Recovery Book” that if a person’s internal microenvironment is always suitable for cancer cell growth In this state, it will not only affect the effect of various cancer treatments, but also cause the cancer to easily recur or metastasize in the future. How to adjust the internal microenvironment of cancer has become an important issue in the treatment and prevention of cancer recurrence. The following is a summary of key books:
Whether it is surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or targeted therapy, we often find that tumors relapse or metastasize soon after treatment shrinks or disappears. There are many reasons for this. Some are because surgery did not completely remove the tumor; some are due to genetic mutations in cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs, radiation or targeted drugs, so they survive; another common reason is that The internal microenvironment of our body has always been an environment suitable for the growth of cancer cells. This is called the “cancer internal microenvironment”.
●Three characteristics of the internal microenvironment of cancer
1. Abnormal metabolism of cancer cells
Our cells must use various nutrients (such as glucose) for metabolism to produce energy. When normal cells use glucose to produce energy, they first use enzymes to decompose six-carbon glucose into two three-carbon pyruvate; this process is called glycolysis, which produces two ATP (Bioenergy Unit). Metabolic derivatives of pyruvate are further sent to the mitochondria (cell power plants), where oxygen molecules (O2) are used to produce 36 ATP.
In other words, the main source of energy produced by our body cells comes from mitochondria, and a few come from glycolysis. Since most cancer cells are injured by the mitochondria, they cannot make full use of oxygen to produce sufficient energy. Therefore, a large amount of glucose must be used for glycolysis to produce energy for cell replication and division.
On the other hand, pyruvate produced by glycolysis will be further decomposed into carbon dioxide and lactic acid. The latter will make the environment around cancer cells acidic, which is conducive to the spread and metastasis of cancer cells.
Cancer cells like to eat sugar 15 to 20 times as much as normal cells. Because cancer cells strongly seize glucose, their surrounding environment will become low-sugar state, causing immune cells (such as poisonous T lymphocytes) to lack glucose to produce energy and reduce their ability to kill cancer cells. We can say that abnormal glucose metabolism is the first characteristic of cancer cells. We can then use nuclear medicine scanning equipment to detect the location of malignant tumors. Generally, the more obvious the positron scan response is, the stronger the sugar metabolism activity of cancer cells is.
2. Chronic inflammation
The second characteristic of the internal environment of cancer is the “chronic inflammatory response.” Long-term chronic inflammation can easily induce cancer. On the other hand, cancer cells themselves can also induce chronic inflammation.
We all know that when there is inflammation in our body, there will be redness and swelling reaction at the beginning, which is that the injured tissue secretes some cytokines to induce the expansion of blood vessels and attract many white blood cells to the injured area. On the one hand, they kill invading viruses or bacteria, and at the same time clean up necrotic cells or tissues. Finally, tissue repair begins, and the inflammatory response will subside naturally. Cancer cells will induce chronic inflammation, which not only releases angiogenesis factors to induce more new blood vessels, so that cancer cells can absorb more nutrients and grow, but also help cancer cells metastasize.
Therefore, if any part of the body has chronic inflammation, it should be actively treated to avoid the induction of cancer. It is known that active treatment of chronic hepatitis B or C can not only prevent the formation of liver cirrhosis, but also reduce the incidence of liver cancer. For patients who have already suffered from cancer, if they actively reduce inflammation through diet or drugs, on the one hand, they can improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce the chance of recurrence.
3. Low anti-cancer immune function
The third characteristic of the internal environment of cancer is “low anti-cancer immune function.” In fact, many cancer cells appear in the body of normal people every day, but our immune cells will find them and destroy them.
When our body continues to have high sugar levels, chronic inflammation or long-term mental stress, the ability of immune cells to kill cancer will be reduced, allowing cancer cells to have a chance to survive and expand. On the other hand, cancer cells themselves also produce some proteins (such as PD-L1) or release some cytokines to inhibit the attack of immune cells. Improving the anti-cancer immunity of cancer patients can not only extend the survival period of patients, but also reduce the chance of recurrence or metastasis.
●Six major cancer microenvironment adjustment methods
So how to adjust the internal microenvironment of cancer through diet, lifestyle or medication? I hereby provide some comments for reference:
1. Try to adopt a low glycemic index diet
The so-called “high glycemic index food” refers to foods that will quickly increase blood sugar after eating. This kind of food not only causes blood sugar to rise, but also induces the secretion of a large amount of insulin, leading to lower blood sugar, increasing the amplitude of blood sugar fluctuations, and causing severe hunger. High blood sugar or too much insulin can stimulate tumor growth.
On the contrary, the so-called “low glycemic index food” refers to foods whose blood sugar rises slowly after eating. This type of food is not only less likely to cause high blood sugar, but also does not induce excessive insulin secretion. On the other hand, it will not induce blood sugar reduction and cause severe hunger.
Typical “high glycemic index foods” are starchy foods such as white rice, bread or noodles, etc. As for unprocessed starchy foods (such as brown rice, grains and whole wheat bread, etc.), they are classified as “low glycemic index foods” . Usually, you should try to use unprocessed brown rice or grains as the staple food, reduce the intake of sugary foods, and eat less fruit that is too sweet (such as: watermelon, cantaloupe). Patients with high blood sugar should actively use blood sugar lowering drugs (such as metformin) to help control blood sugar.
2. Balanced nutrition, but increase the ratio of fish and sea plants
Balanced nutrition includes cereals (staple food), protein and fat foods, vegetables and fruits. Fish, meat, eggs, milk and soy products can be eaten, but it is recommended to increase the proportion of fish and meat (especially medium and small marine fish such as saury, mackerel, bonito, etc.). If there is no hyperthyroidism, eat kelp, seaweed, sea vegetables and other foods. Fish meat and seabed plants can increase the ratio of omega-3 fatty acids in the body and reduce inflammation.
3. Supplement probiotics and foods containing polysaccharides
Proper supplementation of probiotics can not only adjust gastrointestinal function, but also enhance anti-cancer immunity. If you don’t have gout or hyperuricemia, you can eat more mushrooms or seaweed foods. The polysaccharides in them can enhance anti-cancer immunity. When cancer patients receive chemotherapy, it is recommended to take Yunzhi polysaccharide (PSK) if the economy permits. On the one hand, it can reduce the nerve and bone marrow damage caused by chemotherapy. On the other hand, it can also protect immune cells to maintain normal function and reduce Future recurrence and metastasis.
4. Exercise and exercise deep breathing
If the patient’s physical strength permits, it is recommended to exercise every day (such as: brisk walking) for at least 30 minutes. Practice deep breathing every day, at least twice, for at least ten minutes each time. Both exercise and deep breathing can reduce mental stress and help improve immunity.
5. Inject high-dose vitamin C
Intravenous injection of high-dose vitamin C not only has the effect of directly killing cancer cells, but also protects normal cells and reduces the side effects caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In addition, intravenous injection of high-dose vitamin C can also improve inflammation in cancer patients and enhance immunity. It can be said to be a safe, cheap and effective treatment method to improve the internal microenvironment of cancer.
6. Intravenous low-energy laser
Intravenous low-energy lasers allow the mitochondria of white blood cells in the blood to absorb light energy and convert it into biological energy (ATP). It is a treatment method that improves immunity, improves circulation, reduces inflammation and promotes tissue repair. In the past, we often advised patients to receive intravenous low-energy lasers after radiotherapy or chemotherapy to repair injured cells throughout the body (especially immune cells) and adjust the internal microenvironment of cancer. Recent cell culture and animal experiments in our laboratory have found that the combination of high-dose vitamin C injection and intravenous low-energy laser has additive effects against cancer, but it does not harm normal cells. Clinically, the therapeutic effect of high-dose vitamin C injection combined with intravenous low-energy laser is worthy of further observation. (Editor Liang Huiming)
