About 95% of ALL cancers have inflammation in common, and it impacts all stages of tumor development, including initiation, progression, and metastasis. Chronic inflammation also creates an inviting environment for cancer (and most major dis-eases) to develop and grow due to immunosuppression. Clearly, inflammation is something you should be hyper-aware of when on a healing journey—and it IS something you have control over!

Inflammation damages cells and DNA, opening the door to infection, illness, and even cancer.  “Anything that causes inflammation will cause the DNA of a cell to replicate faster,” says Dr. Brad Mons at City of Hope. “The more your cells replicate, the higher chance you have of cancers developing.”

In 1863, Rudolf Virchow made the connection between inflammation and cancer. He suggested that the “lymphoreticular infiltrate” reflected the origin of cancer at sites of chronic inflammation. However, it wasn’t until recent times that most Western medical doctors and researchers started taking the link between inflammation and cancer seriously. It is finally impacting prevention, treatment, and education. This blog briefly explains why you should be proactive in reducing your inflammation levels. For a deep dive, please read my book, Heal Breast Cancer Naturally, as I discuss decreasing inflammation in all areas of your body—such as teeth, mind, adrenals, breast, and in each of your cells. 

Today is the day to take charge of your healing by learning about inflammation—and then take real actions!

What is inflammation?

The concept of inflammation may seem contradictory at first, so let’s break it down. On the one hand, inflammation is part of your body’s natural healing process. But then there’s “bad inflammation,” which comes from harmful lifestyle choices such as chronic stress and obesity.

Inflammation starts in your cells and is the body’s response to tissue damage.  There are two types:

• Acute: The response to sudden body damage, such as scrapping your knee. To heal the cut, your body will send inflammatory cells to the injury to start the healing process. Signs can include heat (my breasts were very hot before I was diagnosed), pain, swelling, flushed skin, etc.
• Chronic: Inflammation can become chronic if the cause of the inflammation persists or certain control mechanisms in charge of shutting down the process fail. This can result in cell mutation and proliferation—leading to cancer and other serious illnesses. Signs can include fatigue, fever, joint or chest pain, skin rashes, etc.

What causes inflammation, and how do I reduce it?

If it is generally not considered “healthy,” then it probably causes a bad kind of inflammation in your body. Cigarettes, alcohol, processed foods, sugar, etc. are definitely pro-inflammation. However, less obvious things like stress, poor sleep quality, adrenal fatigue, and environmental toxins are also inflammation dispensers. One thing did not cause a drastic increase of inflammation in your body that led to cancer. Therefore, one thing will not fix it. This is why I created the comprehensive, step-by-step educational program: 7 Essentials System®. Each of the seven parts is about preventing and reducing inflammation. 

To get a better grasp on a few types of inflammation that you have the power to prevent, reduce, and heal—please check out these blog posts:

• Chronic stress & sleep and adrenal fatigue
• Releasing emotional baggage
• Gut inflammation
• Dietary inflammation
• Toxic dental products
• Toxic beauty and female products

To know specifically what YOU need to do to reduce inflammation, please take the Breast Health Foundation Panel that includes the inflammation test. This test also provides crucial insight into your metabolism, nutrients, and core tests, such as eating for your blood type. It is based on the Dietary Inflammation Index and the C-Reactive Protein (CRP), which is the main marker for identifying inflammation in your body.

Inflammation and breast cancer

Just like 95% of all cancers have inflammation in common, about 90% of cancer cases are related to lifestyle problems (somatic mutations and environmental factors). Only about 5-10% of cancers are actually genetically caused. This means YOU have CONTROL over what caused the cancer and, therefore, what will HEAL the cancer. The Survive & Thrive online program featuring the best of medical and integrative doctors and healers is another amazing way to learn and then take specific action to reduce and prevent future inflammation overloads in all areas of your body, gut, and mind.

Chronic inflammation has been linked to various steps involved in tumorigenesis, including cellular transformation, promotion, survival, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Various signaling pathways are key contributors in creating epigenetic changes on the outside of the cell, switching on these internal mutations. This comprehensive study dives deep into each aspect of how inflammation impacts cancer and how inflammatory biomarkers can be used to monitor the progression and healing. Please take a look to learn more, and always feel free to reach out to your breast cancer coach with specific questions.

Inflammatory breast cancer

When Googling “inflammation and breast cancer,” inflammatory breast cancer may pop up, so I want to briefly mention it to prevent confusion. This type of breast cancer is a rare and very aggressive disease in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. It gets its name because the breast often looks swollen and red, or inflamed. 

Take anti-inflammation action today!

Here are 5 things you can start doing that are proven to reduce inflammation:

• Nutritional support: Curcumin, Omega 3s, ginger, and Vitamin C (Check out this podcast on Vitamin C)
• Manage stress: Meditation, tapping, and these mental health boosts can help
• Sleep well: Adrenal health and melatonin
• Exercise: HIIT and Exercise Oncology
• Eat superfoods: Flaxseeds, wheatgrass, Matcha tea, broccoli sprouts (or take Brocco Power)

YOU GOT THIS!

 

Author: Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, better known as  Dr. V, is a Doctor of Chiropractic & has 44 years of experience in the wellness industry. For personalized support, please partner with a trained Breast Cancer Conqueror Coach.