SS:  I find it very empowering that what we decide to eat or drink or what we avoid every day will tilt the odds of getting cancer in our favor or our detriment.  We cannot control everything perfectly, but at least we know we can follow some useful principles every day without stressing too much about it.
CP:  Let me explain things based on a diagram I drew. (See figure 1.)  I used to be a software engineer and I have to draw flow charts for myself in order to organize my thoughts, and I find it easier to explain to others this way.  I think this diagram will also help readers get the big picture about the most common and typical pathways that cancers start on and how they progress.  The good news is that there are so many points where we have the power to change the odds in our favor.  That is why I called it “My Power to Change My Cancer Risk” diagram.
            I am only noting nine of the most obvious nutritional interventions that are in our power, and I’ve labeled them A through I.  There may be many more ways in which nutrition and nutritional supplements may affect cancer risk, but theses are the ones I consider most important and relatively easy to implement.

SS:  It is exciting to see at one glance that we can intervene at so many points in the cancer pathway and arrest that accidental cancer cell on its way to causing trouble.
CP:  Yes, knowledge is power.  I will describe each potential intervention in detail.  No one thing will cause or prevent cancer with certainty.  There are no guarantees.  But we can definitely tilt the odds in our favor, based on all the research we have today and based on our current knowledge of human physiology and biochemistry.

SS:  Okay, let’s start from the beginning.  I see a box that describes carcinogenic substances coming from the environment, but also from inside our bodies.  Please explain.  I have always said it’s the chemicals, again and again.  Is that the only cause, though?
CP:  No, it’s not the only cause, but it is certainly the culprit for many cancers.  These odd, artificial, man-made chemicals can be carcinogens, but chemicals of natural origin can also be a problem, such as aflatoxins from peanuts, which can cause liver cancer.  Obviously, not everybody who eats peanuts or peanut butter that contains aflatoxin gets liver cancer.  This is a good example to show that it takes more that one factor to lead to full-blown cancer.
I have to say I am not a fan of peanuts because they are a source of oxidized fat, due to the roasting of the polyunsaturated fat they contain, and this is a source of free radicals that can cause DNA damage.
Peanuts are also high in omega-6 oils, which tend to stimulate excessive proliferation of cancer cells.  Keep in mind that omega-3 fats (from flax, walnuts, and fish oils) have the opposite effect-they reduce cancer cell proliferation.  What matters at the end of the day is your personal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats.

SS:  And there is a blood test for that, too?
CP:  Yes, it is called the RBC (red blood cell) fatty acid profile, and it is performed by various labs, including Metametrix.  I find this to be one of the most important tests that reflect many aspects of health status.
I have to give credit to Barry Sears and his books for enlightening many people about the impact of these essential fats on the ability of an organism to function optimally and on the risk of many diseases.
The results of this test tell me a lot about what kind of fats patients eat (saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, trans fats), their risk of inflammation, cancer proliferation and angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels that feed tumors), vasoconstriction (which leads to high blood pressure) versus vasodilation (which supports good circulation to all organs), and risk of clotting (through platelet aggregation).

SS:  Other than carcinogens, can any other factors give rise to a precancerous cell in the body?
CP:  Yes, it’s not just chemicals that may do it.  As you see in my chart in the upper right-hand corner box, bad luck (a chance, random genetic change) or family genetic predisposition could also set the stage for a precancerous cell to occur, specifically what is called a DNA mutation.

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