Health Begins With You 健康由你做主

To many people, Cancer is synonymous to a death sentence. In 2003, cancer constituted 25.9% of all deaths, overtaking heart diseases as the No.1 killer. The facts may be startling and even depressing to many of us, but what most people are unaware, is that cancer is mostly preventable. Also, the good news is, if detected early, most cancers can be treated.

Experts have suggested that the following food should be taken with caution as they may cause cancer or contain cancer-causing substances:

Fatty meat and other high-fat foods
Saturated fats, commonly found in whole milk, red meat and dairy products, palm and coconut oils.
Smoked and processed meat, eg. ham, sausages. Smoked food absorbs tars during the burning process. In turn, tars contain cancer-causing carcinogens.
Barbecued and deep fried food because they contain chemicals called Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) that increase cancer risk.
Salted food eg. salted vegetables, salted fish


Instead, consume more of the following:

Cruciferous vegetables eg. chye sim, cauliflower, kai lan and broccoli may reduce the risk of colon cancer because they contain substances called isothiocyanates.
Oily or fatty fish eg. salmon, mackerel. They contain Omega-3 fatty acids which inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Soya products because they lower the levels of the female hormone estrone which are linked to breast cancer.
Garlic which contains allyl sulfides. These limit the production of harmful enzymes in the body that can activate cancer-causing chemicals.



Garlic which contains allyl sulfides. These limit the production of harmful enzymes in the body that can activate cancer-causing chemicals.
Tomatoes contain lycopene, which helps to neutralise free radicals that damage a cell's genetic composition.
Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries and raisins contain antioxidant chemicals which destroy free radicals in the blood that promote cancer.


The Deadly Puff
The harmfulness of smoking can never be over-emphasized. Besides causing about 35% of all cancer deaths in Singapore, it also contributes to the risk of developing most cancers. Cigarette smoke consists of many carcinogens which damages the body's DNA and cause normal cells to change into deadly tumours.
Keep an Eye
Remember, there is no cure like early detection. Be extra vigilant and see a doctor if you observe any of these symptoms. They may not necessarily be cancer symptoms, but it would be safer to have a doctor check them out early.


Colorectal - Change in bowel habits, especially when constipation alternates with diarrhoea. Black stool or bleeding.

Breast - Lump or any kin change in the breast, discharge from the nipple, itch and rash on the nipple.

Lung - Chronic coughs, shortness of breath, chest pain, blood in sputum and tiredness.

Nose or pharynx - Stuffy nose, blood in sputum, blocked ear and ringing sound, blurred vision, lump in the neck and difficulty in swallowing.

Stomach - Feeling of fullness after eating only a little, persistent indigestion, heartburn after meals, loss of appetite, dull pain in abdomen, blood in faeces and vomiting blood.

Womb,cervix, uterine - Irregular bleeding, abnormal discharge and bleeding after sex. For post-menopausal women, any such bleeding is a cause for concern.

Ovarian - Bloated feeling in the abdomen, back or leg ache, abnormal vaginal bleeding, changing in bowel habits and difficulty in urinating.

Prostate - Difficulty in passing urine, weakness or swelling of legs, lump in the prostate gland and back pain.


Source: The Straits Times 31/05/2004