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2 HEALTHY LIFE CANCER August 28-29, 2013
Forty-two
years into
theWar on
Cancer ...
There’s a feeling
among many that the
progress made to date
is about to accelerate.
As noted in the
article on Page 5 in
this section, the can-
cer war — first de-
clared in 1971 — has
turned out to be more
difficult than imag-
ined. Cancer is not
just one disease capa-
ble of being con-
quered by a break-
through cure. Rather,
it comes in thousands
of forms, which re-
quire a myriad of tar-
geted therapies.
Any Portland-area
family that’s been
affected by a cancer
diagnosis knows just
how difficult it can be
to defeat this disease.
Researchers right
here in Portland,
however, expand their
understanding of can-
cer each day. These
researchers are able
to collaborate with
other cancer centers
locally, nationally and
internationally to
share knowledge and
findings.
They remain opti-
mistic and deter-
mined to find better
ways to prevent and
treat cancer.
In this edition of
Healthy Life, pro-
duced by the Pamplin
Media Group, we ex-
plore the latest devel-
opments in the cancer
field. We believe a
community’s health is
the No. 1 measure of
its success. We hope
our readers find this
section useful as a
guide to the evolving
field of cancer re-
search, treatment and
prevention.
— MArk GArbEr
President and publisher
Portland Tribune and
Community Newspapers
by EMILY HOArD
Pamplin Media Group
Why would one part of a
body create something
to kill the rest of the
body?”
This is the question that inspired
Dr. Donald Austin, of the Knight
Cancer Institute at OHSU, to study
and research cancer. In order to
treat and prevent cancer it’s impor-
tant to understand the causes be-
hind the disease, he explained.
After an extensive education, Dr.
Austin became the head of the Cali-
fornia Cancer Sur-
veillance system,
and his experiences
reinforced his inter-
est in studying can-
cer. He also did con-
tract work for Na-
tional Cancer Insti-
tute’s SEER Pro-
gram, and his job
was to find every
case of cancer diag-
nosed in the San Francisco Bay Ar-
ea.
In 1973, he learned there were
more cases of cancer in the uterus
than any year before. He was inter-
ested in finding out why, so after he
presented the information to the
FDA in 1975, he went on to research
it. He found that the uterus cancer
was commonly found in women who
were taking post-menopausal estro-
gen hormone pills, and that the rise
in the cancer increased as the sales
of the pills increased. By 1979, once
Dr. Austin helped expose this conclu-
sion, the prescription sales went
down dramatically and the uterus
cancer rates dropped back to normal
for the women who stopped taking
the drug.
This experience was especially in-
fluential to Dr. Austin because it
proved his research could make a
difference in preventing cancer. He
then went on to treat cancer patients
until 1997 when he became a full-
time teacher and researcher at
OHSU. His primary interest is epide-
miology and finding ways that will
reduce cancer’s effect, but he is also
quite knowledgeable about cancer
prevention.
There are three different methods
to prevent cancer. The primary pre-
vention method is meant to keep
people from getting cancer in the
first place, and the strategy is to
learn what causes it and to reduce
the exposure of that cause. For in-
stance, lung cancer and other smok-
ing-related diseases can be prevent-
ed by not smoking and not being
around second-hand smoke. The
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) has
at least 25 strains, several of which
cause cervical cancers and can lead
to cancer of other parts in the pri-
vate area. To prevent HPV, both boys
and girls should be immunized with
a set of vaccinations. Limiting sun
exposure and wearing sunscreen can
prevent malignant melanoma, skin
cancer that is caused from sunburns.
Also, an aspirin a day can reduce the
risk of getting colorectal cancer.
Secondary prevention is when the
premalignant tissue is found early
enough that it can be treated or re-
moved before it turns into harmful
forms of cancer. Breast cancer, cervi-
cal cancer, and colorectal can be pre-
vented in this manner. Colorectal
cancers are identified by polyps that
can potentially turn dangerous in a
matter of years. Doctors can exam-
ine the colon through a colonoscopy
in order to find and remove these
premalignant polyps, preventing
them from growing cancerous.
The tertiary prevention method is
when the cancer has developed but it
can be treated so that it will not be
deadly. People can live with the can-
cer when it is treated everyday.
OHSU has developed a medication
called Gleevec to treat a type of leu-
by SAUNDrA SOrENSON
Pamplin Media Group
Reza Antoszewska, nurse
practitioner in cancer survivor-
ship and integrated cancer care
at the Legacy Cancer Institute
at Good Samaritan in Portland,
has some advice when it comes
to healthful eating and cancer
prevention:
n Practice a plant-based
diet. Foods in the cabbage family,
including broccoli and bok
choy, have “constituents that
can be protective against certain
cancers.”
n Remember: Cancer loves
sugar. “Try less of a carbohydrate
load in the diet,” Antoszewska
says, “and always make sure to
pair a carbohydrate with a good-
quality protein.” That means ...
n No more than 11 ounces of
red meat a week. Despite adver-
tising, pork is effectively a red
meat, as is beef, lamb and buffalo.
n Get a lot of omega-3 fatty ac-
ids, such as those found in fatty
fish like Pacific cod or salmon, or
in fish oil products. (A word of
caution: due to potential mercury
levels, it is best to eat seafood in
moderation). Omega-3s can be
found in flax seed oil, or in whole
or fresh-ground flaxseed.
Antoszewska also recom-
mends:
n Foods from the onion family,
as well as the spice turmeric,
which have been shown to have
anti-inflammatory properties.
n “A rainbow of vegetables and
fruit” to help secure a range of
vitamins and nutrients.
n Green tea and berries, which
possess antioxidants.
A word on buying produce:
Sometimes, buying organic
truly pays. Foods like berries
and red or yellow peppers absorb
pesticides more easily than
foods like broccoli or avocadoes,
Antoszewska says.
How can you reduce your
risk of getting cancer?
DrEAMSTIME pHOTO
AUSTIN
CONTINUED / page 4
Some foods aid in the fight to head off disease, specialist says
DrEAMSTIME pHOTO
Antioxidents in berries and green teas
— as well as constituents in other
foods such as cabbage and broccoli —
can be protective against cancer.