100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (98 page)

what the news media wanted. It forced those with an interest, and that was

a lot of people, to tune in for the details. When you hear headlines like these

that are alarming, don’t jump to conclusions. First, ask yourself these ques-

tions:
What kind of study? Where was it done? Who sponsored the study? Who

is reporting the study? How many people were involved? Was this a new study or

one that was replicated? What were the actual results?

Once these questions are answered, you can decide if this news is note-

worthy or not.

What Kind of Study?

Research studies can be done many different ways. Studies always start with

a question, called a hypothesis, and a guess as to how the questions will be

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answered. Then a method is determined to get the answer. Some studies are

done by observing the effects on different groups. There are usually one or

two groups that receive the “drug” or “treatment” and a control group that

does not, so a comparison can be made as to whether the drug or treatment

was effective.

Sometimes the study is a study of other studies. Research results from

experiments that have already been done, which all asked the same ques-

tion, are compiled into one big study of data. One scientist will look at all

those studies, use that data, and come up with one conclusion. When lis-

tening to results from these types of studies it’s important to consider “causal

relationships.” For example, if a scientist looked at rain and open umbrellas,

she might conclude that the open umbrellas caused the rain because when

you see one, you see the other, just as a child might conclude that darkness

is caused by putting on pajamas. The two events may be related, but one

did not cause the other.

Where Was It Done?

Think about what is being studied and where it was done. If a drug is being

tested, more credibility would be given to studies done at a university, for

example, than the drug company’s research lab.

Who Sponsored the Study?

The funding makes a big difference in how much credibility the study has,

although it may be good data anyway. For example, I saw a headline that

read, “Milk Fights Cancer.” After I read the study a bit, I realized it was a

study funded 100 percent by one of the big American dairy associations.

When I looked more closely at the study, the title was exaggerated at best.

Who Is Reporting the Study?

Studies can be tilted this way and that to get the outcome that is favorable

to certain agendas. It may be discovered that vitamin X is just as effective

for a certain illness as drug Z. The company that manufactures drug Z

might publicize a study showing the negative side effects of vitamin X,

for example.

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417

How Many People Were Involved?

Was it a study of 10 people or 10,000 people? The credibility goes hand in

hand with the size of the study.

Was This a New Study or One That Was Replicated?

Good science depends on data that can be reproduced over and over to get

the same result each time. If this is a brand-new study with new findings, I

would want to see if the results could be reproduced by someone else.

What Were the Actual Results?

In the example I gave at the start of this health tip, the headline read, “New

Study Shows Vitamin D Ineffective.” After reading the entire study from the

actual source and not a news-reporting source, the actual

facts were that for osteoporosis, vitamin D is ineffective in

older populations in doses lower than 800 IUs per day.

Research is great when it

What they didn’t bother to report was that it was shown to

is credible and unbiased.

be highly effective for preventing osteoporosis in older pop-

When you hear news

ulations in doses between 800 and 2,000 IUs per day. The

that might affect you,

news reported only part of the story, and it caused quite a

stop and get the real

stir. It made me so angry to think that there were older folks

facts before you accept

who, after hearing that misquoted news report, decided not

it as true.

to take their vitamin D, putting them at greater risk for

osteoporosis.

Scientific research is how we learn what works and what doesn’t. Make

sure you find out all the facts and read the study for yourself at the source

before making any changes in your routine.

Perk #98

Raising Awareness

W
hen my son, Ben, was three years old, I knew there was something

wrong. Having nearly twenty years of experience as an educational psy-

chologist, I analyzed the possible diagnoses: cognitive delay, learning dis-

ability, autism, or some other syndrome? Whatever they called it, it would

not change the reality of his deficits. He could not talk, his motor skills were

delayed, and he had no desire to socialize with other people. When he was

finally diagnosed with autism in April 2008, I breathed a sigh of relief. If

he was going to wear some label to describe his lack of communication and

socialization skills, then the autism label gave him the best chances of get-

ting the support he needed. There is a huge awareness campaign around the

autism spectrum disorders these days. Awareness brings lobbying, which

brings money, which brings solutions. Since Ben’s diagnosis we have had a

trained ABA therapist come to our home every day to work with him, paid

for by the government. That is what comes of increasing awareness.

Many people question the value of raising awareness, and just what it

is that we are raising awareness of. Personally, I think that awareness is a

good thing, as resources will go to where awareness is the greatest. One of

the perks of having cancer for me is that it puts me in the position to help

raise awareness about this disease and, hopefully, be part of the force that

helps to finally find a cure.

When Susan and I decided to write this book together, we committed

to raising awareness for a cancer charity. With so many good charitable

organizations out there, we had a difficult time narrowing down our choice.

The obvious choice for us was to support Stand Up To Cancer. What appeals

to us most about this organization is its nonpolitical nature.

When I was first diagnosed, I had no idea about the politics of breast

cancer. In some ways, the breast cancer community can be likened to a bat-

tlefield with two distinct camps: “survivors” (defined by some as those who

“beat cancer”) versus stage-4 (metastatic breast cancer or MBC) patients.

Susan and I were both very lucky in that our cancer was discovered at stage

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Perk #98: Raising Awareness

419

3, before it had metastasized to distant sites. At the moment, there is no

evidence of disease in our bodies. However, we don’t view ourselves as being

in different camps from those with MBC, or from anyone with any type of

cancer for that matter. The way we see it, being a survivor is all about atti-

tude, not about the presence or absence of cancer cells in one’s body.

It surprised me to learn about the politics of cancer and how each faction

seems to be in competition for their own piece of the “find-a-cure” pie. The

bottom line is this: At the moment, there is no cure for any type of cancer.

On this battlefield, we are all fighting the same fight. Right now, those with

stage 4 are at the front lines of the battle. However, the sad truth is, when

one of our comrades falls, there will likely be another of us called to the

front lines to take his or her place.

What we like about Stand Up To Cancer is their mission to encourage

collaboration instead of competition among the entire cancer community.

This is very fitting with our mission, which is to help those with cancer real-

ize that it is possible to live a healthy and a happy lifestyle, regardless of

your diagnosis. No matter what the stage of cancer, or what the body part

affected, we all want the same thing: a world that is free from cancer. Let

not our differences divide us!
This is where the end of cancer begins: when

we unite in one unstoppable movement and Stand Up To Cancer.

Being part of an awareness campaign can be a very

rewarding experience. Reward yourself by taking on a cause.

HEALTH TIP #98 The Rewards of Broccoli

M
ention broccoli to some and you will get an immediate wrinkled-nose

reaction. I honestly think the people that don’t like it have never really

eaten it without prejudice. When you’re a kid and you are “forced” to eat

something, it survives in your memory as something horrid and you avoid

ever eating it again.

But broccoli and the whole cruciferous family (Brussels sprouts, cab-

bage, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage, arugula, watercress, radishes, and

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turnips) contain the highest levels of cancer-fighting substances found in

nature. Two, in particular, have been shown to inhibit the development of

cancer. Indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane are produced from the digestion

of cruciferous veggies. Once in your system, they reduce inflammation, pro-

tect the body from cell damage, and render carcinogens helpless. Including

cruciferous veggies in your diet has been shown to be a factor in lowering

your risk of prostate, colorectal, lung, and breast cancer. And the research

continues. There are cancer drugs that are currently being developed for use

as treatment that are derived from diindolylmethanes commonly found in

cruciferous veggies. How’s
that
for powerful?

The way most people eat broccoli is by smothering it with cheese or cream

sauces. Adding dairy and extra fat to this green goddess is like putting alu-

minum siding on the Taj Mahal. Yeah, you can do it . . . but why would you?

If we put our heads (of broccoli) together there are more ways to prepare

it than just boiling it. Boiling broccoli, or any vegetable for that matter,

removes many of the important nutrients and they get dumped down the