Cancer Simplified by Sh. Abu Iyaad Amjad Rafiq

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Cancer
Simplified
A. Rafiq
BSc Medicinal Biochemistry, PhD Biochemistry
November 2015 — 1.1
Part 1: What Is Cancer and How Does It
Develop?
The traditional view has been that cancer is a bump or a
lump which has developed in the body over a period of time due
to cells going out of control. Upon this understanding, it is
conventionally treated by cutting (surgery), poisoning (chemo)
or burning (radiotherapy) or a combination thereof. In most
cases, the cancer growth returns, usually more aggressively
because these treatments act very harshly upon an already
immunocompromised body which is what allowed the cancer to
develop in the first place. In the short term, these methods
remove the cancerous growth and appear as cures. But in the long
term, they put the body in a much more compromised and
precarious state.
The first thing to understand that the body has an in-built
healing mechanism which involves the replacement of old or
damaged cells. When damage occurs signals are sent out which 
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trigger mechanisms to grow new cells. Once the new cells have
grown and repairing is complete a signal is sent to say that the job
has been completed. In the disease of cancer, something affects
this signalling system and the cells continue to grow.1 This out-ofcontrol ‘healing’ process continues over a period of time (this can
be many years) until a ‘lump’ or ‘bump’ develops and this is
described as ‘cancer’. In reality, the lump is only a symptom of
the cancer. Getting to the reality of what cancer is involves asking
the questions: What caused the problems in the signals? Or
what caused the cells to spiral out of control? Or what
damaged the regulatory mechanism? We will come to answer
these questions in due course.
Coming back to this cancer process, there are a number of stages.
In the first stage, the cells grow at a much higher rate than
normal. There may be nothing wrong with these cells, they can be
normal, their DNA can be normal, but they grow and multiply
faster than normal. These cells will tend to clump together and
what is happening here is referred to as ‘hyperplasia’ when tissue
is being enlarged due to rapid cell growth. After a period, this
clump will move to the second stage which is when it turns
‘neoplastic’, that is when it starts to form a mass and is on its way
to eventually becoming cancer. As these processes take place, the
way the cancer cells stay alive also changes. Because the cells in
the tumuorous mass become starved of oxygen, their cell
biochemistry changes and they come to rely on sugar (glucose) to
stay alive and grow. [Sugar is a huge cancer feeder]. The tumour
will seek to stay alive by sending signals for capillaries to develop

1 This is one theory or explanation of cancer and there are others, however for
the purposes of this article, we will adhere to this explanation. 
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in its direction. Over time, it will become like an organ in itself,
soak up the body’s nutrition and energy and slowly cause it to
waste, leading to death.
Cancer cells grow in all bodies but because of the robustness of
the immune system in a healthy body, they are quickly identified
and disposed of. As a result, hyperplasia and therefore
neoplasticity never develop as intermediate stages before
the cancer. In an immunocompromised body, a body whose
ability to clean up these cells is weakened, the cells will continue
to grow, become neoplastic, turn cancerous and eventually
develop their own supply which is siphoned away from the bodies
healthy cells and organs. This process can take many years and
goes undetected until an unusual ‘lump’ or ‘bump’ is discovered.
There are dozens of factors involved in the causation of cancer,
each of which weaken the immune system and they come under
two broad categories at the cellular level: Insufficient
nutrition and poisoning through toxicity. Examples could
include pollution, pesticides, carcinogens in food, air and water,
tobacco smoke, consuming junk food or nutritionally-empty food,
electromagnetic radiation, conventional drugs, toxic metals,
parasites, x-rays, toxic emotions and so on. When tumour masses
are analysed by toxicologists, they often find carcinogenic
chemicals. In many cases, sustained toxic emotions or a huge
emotional trauma could be the trigger. In reality, the causes of
cancer in each person vary a great deal and involve a combination
of factors.
From the above, one should immediately realise that the
conventional cut, poison and burn treatment system is severely 
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limited and does not really cure the cancer but simply rids
the body of the symptom (the lump, bump, clump) whilst leaving
the true underlying causes completely untouched. A true and
real cure has to involve a lot more than just destroying the tumour
[which conventional cures are primarily focused upon]. Thus a
broader, more sophisticated approach has to be taken in order to
reverse this disease from its foundations.
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Part 2: An Analogy for Different Perceptions
About Treatment of Cancer
In Part 1, we outlined the process through which cancer develops
in the body in a simplistic, generalized way and this will be
expanded upon in future parts. We can emphasize the main lesson
from the first part by giving a simple analogy which demonstrates
different approaches towards the disease of cancer.
Most modern cars have computerized systems which alert the
driver or owner of some underlying systemic problem. Usually this
is communicated through the dashboard or on-board computer
system. If the oil is running low for example, a flashing red light
may appear. This is a warning sign that the engine is not running
efficiently and unless the problem is fixed, greater harm will result
and the vehicle may be severely damaged in the long term if the
situation is left unaddressed. From here there are two
perceptions. The first perception is that the flashing light is the
primary or actual problem. With this perception, the solution
would be to stop the light (by smashing it with a hammer for
example) or removing it (cutting it out with an electric saw) or
burning it (with a blow torch). The second perception is that the
light is a signal towards something else, and that the light will not
stop doing what it is doing until the underlying problem is
addressed as a matter of urgency.
Though the analogy is not a perfect match from every angle, it is
useful in a broad sense for our purpose. It illustrates the issue well
with respect to cancer. The tumour which develops (through the
series of steps outlined in part one) is really a signal which is 
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saying that there is something fundamentally wrong, the body has
lost its ability to identify and eliminate irregular cells (this is the
actual disease). It is compromised, or more specifically
immunocompromised. Thus, the lump and bump is a flashing red
light and indicates that something has been wrong in the body for
a while. Getting rid of the lump itself (though desirable and part of
the cure) is not going to solve the real problem as the body will
still remain in the same condition which allowed the lump to
appear in the first place. Just like in the car analogy, removing the
flashing light won’t solve the problem that gave rise to it. This is
why cancer always comes back in the vast majority of people who
are treated on the basis of that limited, narrow-minded, first
perception. The lump and bump was ‘treated’ [annihilated
through chemical warfare or effectively burned with a ‘blowtorch’] with the body as a mere bystander inflicted with ‘collateral
damage’. The body remains unable to prevent any remaining or
newly-developing out of control cells from turning into more
lumps and bumps. This time the bumps and lumps come back
with greater ease as the body has been hammered and put
through traumatic stress with those harsh treatments. Hence,
secondary tumours appear in other parts of the body and grow
aggressively. This occurs routinely with cancer patients and often,
within months sometimes, less than a year or perhaps a little
longer, many cancer patients die as a result of the treatment and
its effects, rather than the cancer itself.
So as not to be misunderstood, because the body is a very
complex system, it can become compromised in many different
ways which is why cancers appear in many different forms and in
many different areas of the body. So when we are speaking of 
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cancer, we are speaking in a very broad sense, we are speaking
about broad principles that apply generally to most instances of
the disease. However, there are situations where for example [for
whatever reason] the tumour has become so large that it poses a
great danger upon a nearby organ. Hence, surgery would be
necessary to prevent an immediate life-threatening situation. This
is a unique situation. Or it may be a very rare type of cancer and
require an unusual and specialized approach. It is important to
understand that we are speaking generally and not about any
specific cases or types of cancer. When we understand general
principles about this disease and its true nature, it will make us
better equipped in making educated, well-informed, optimal
choices about the course of treatment.
Coming back to our analogy with the car. Because of the way
things just are and because of the way medicine has progressed in
developed countries and because of financial and political
reasons [Pharma-medicine is big business], the choices available
to people in the treatment of cancer through conventional means
are based on the first perception above: That the annoying
flashing light is the actual cancer. In other words, the lump and
bump is the culprit, not the underlying unique combination of
factors [for each person] that were behind its appearance. Thus,
the war is on the lump and bump [cut, poison, burn] and not on
the factors that gave rise to it, and the body is just a bystander. It
is further asserted that nothing else can cure this disease and
nothing else is evidence based except this approach of cut, burn
and poison.
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For smart, thinking people, its a no-brainer, and you do not need
degrees, doctorates or a formal education to understand this:
Addressing the true underlying cancer-causing factors with a view
to dramatically reducing disease occurrence or eliminating it
outright is a profit-killer. It does not make sense for the powerful
pharmaceutical companies who are recycling WWI mustard-gas
and its derivatives as chemotherapy drugs to treat only the bumps
and lumps. Long term cures are undesirable. A constant supply of
cancer patients are required in order for drug companies to
generate profits for their shareholders.
So what is the point from this discussion so far? Basically, there is
much more to cancer than the narrow-minded, deficient cut,
poison, burn paradigm. Anyone making the claim that there is no
‘cure’ besides cutting, burning and poisoning the body is ignorant
of the reality of medicine. [That is not to say that cutting, burning
and poisoning can never be useful ever. Yes, in some limited
cases, these processes may be utilised. However, this is only in a
very specialised, targeted way that is not available to the general
public, only in advanced private clinics for the very wealthy]. In
order to ensure chances of survival and a genuine cure for the
disease a holistic approach has to be taken that addresses the
underlying precipitating and facilitating factors for the cancer as
well as the lump and bump. This will include general, broad
principles applicable to every case of cancer and then matters
which are unique to each case. In short, the message from this
part in the series is that if you end up being a cancer patient or
have one in the family, the onus is upon you to learn about this
disease and to know that the limited choices you are given for
treatment (cut, poison, burn) are based upon a limited, narrow-
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minded perception and that there is much more to the story and
numerous others options. You will most-likely not be told that
story and hence it is upon you to find out for yourself. Cancer is a
curable disease and the first step to treating it (or preventing it) is
removing ignorance from yourself regarding it and to take greater
responsibility for your own health. This will dramatically affect the
chances of cure and survival and will put you in a much better
position to make informed choices about treatment options.
In the next few parts in the series we will discuss the primary risk
factor for cancer [which is to do with the immune system] and
outline around twenty or so precipitating or facilitating factors
which lead to the development of cancer in the human body.
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Part 3: Cancer Is Simply a Failure of the
“Immune System”
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Continuing from Part 1 and Part 2 we will now develop the
cancer development process in a bit more depth.
It is pretty much clear that there is no one particular cause for
cancer, just as the cure for it does not lie in any one particular
thing. Rather, there are many inter-related and interdependent factors which contribute to the development of
cancer and these factors vary from person to person. It may be the
case that two people have the exact same type of cancer yet the
causative factors or facilitating processes behind it are different in
both cases. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that
the cure does not lie in any one particular thing and that for each
person, the most efficient cure will depend on identifying and
addressing the original factors.
The body is said to be made up of 30 trillion cells and each day, a
healthy body will create 300 or so cancer cells provided it has not
been exposed to ‘carcinogens‘ (we will define this word more fully
a little later). This is not an unusual process, it is normal and
the body recognizes these cells and destroys them quickly. When
multiple, cumulative stresses are put upon the body in the form of

2 The notion of an “immune system” arises from the germ theory model of
disease and is integral to it. A broader and more accurate description would be
to speak instead of a homeostatic correction system, which is the body’s in
built, pre-programmed ability to self-repair and self-heal. Chronic illnesses such
as cancer arise when—due to multiple combined causes (involving diet,
lifestyle, habits, environment, exposures, stress, emotional trauma etc.)—this
corrective ability of the body is compromised. 
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many carcinogens or carcinogenic processes, the body’s ability is
weakened or compromised and the cancer cells have an
opportunity to live longer and multiply further. So long as body
remains in that stressed, immunocompromised state and is
unable to carry out the normal process of removing those cells,
the out of control cells will have the opportunity to go through the
hyperplasia and neoplastic phases that lead to cancer (see Part 1).
This can take place over many long years and the appearance of a
lump or bump is simply a signal that this has been happening for
quite a while in the body.
When we use the word ‘carcinogen’ it is a reference to any stress
factor that weakens the immune system. Technically it refers to
chemicals or radiation that have cancer causing properties, but
this definition is limited and wanting. In fact the meaning of word
‘carcinogenic’ is ‘to start cancer’. Thus, a faulty, deficient diet,
toxic emotions, emotional trauma and many other affairs besides
chemicals and radiation are also ‘carcinogenic’ because they can
initiate or facilitate processes which lead to cancer.
From the above, we can come to our main point which is
that: Cancer is in reality is a failure of the immune system. This
is the actual disease, not the appearance of the lump or bump.
The lump or bump is merely the attempt of a mass of cells trying
to stay alive whilst starved of oxygen, and their primary
requirement is glucose. It is a symptom of the disease, not
the disease itself. The disease is that the immune system has been
compromised to a degree where it cannot rapidly and efficiently
process and remove the abnormal cells.
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Having abnormal cells in the body is not the crucial factor in the
development of cancer. The majority of people are subjected
to carcinogens to some degree or another and the immune
system recognises abnormal cells them and destroys
them. Cancer is a threat primarily because of the inability of
the body to eliminate the abnormal cells when they are few in
number. This inability of the body is now believed to be a result of
an imbalance or breakdown in the immune system response. It
may produce too much or too little of a particular substance
leading to an irregular or insufficient response which only has a
diminished ability to eliminate the cancer cells.
Harnessing the body’s immune system itself to combat cancer is
recognised [and this is the foundational principle of ‘nonconventional’, ‘alternative’ treatments] and this is why we see
classes of drugs known as immunotherapy drugs being
researched and developed upon the same concept. However, one
must not lose sight of the fact that these drugs are being
developed upon the first perception of cancer we spoke of in
Part 2 of this series. Meaning, that these drugs are used to destroy
the lump and the bump which in and of itself is considered the
disease and its removal considered to be the cure.
As for the wider issue of what is causing the cancer in any given
patient and how to address those causative, precipitating,
facilitating factors then this is ignored. In any case, the fact that
the principle of harnessing the body’s own immune system to
attack cancer cells is recognized and is being used to develop
classes of drugs is a validation of treatments which operate on the 
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very principle of restoring the immune system to its normal
operation so it can attack and eliminate the cancer.
It is known in ‘conventional’ medicine that the existence of
“spontaneous remission” [where cancer ’suddenly’ disappears
from a patient] is evidence of the body’s inherent ability to heal
itself without any intervention. How and why this occurs is not
understood by them, but hormonal and immune mechanisms
amongst others are suggested by them to be involved in the
process. Yet studies of such cases on a large scale indicate that
most patients undergoing were actively doing something to
facilitate healing. This healing ultimately came about through
restoration of the immune response to its proper capacity
allowing it to efficiently rid the body of its tumours in a short time.
All of this reinforces what we mentioned at the beginning, that
because of the very nature of this disease (immune system
impairment) and its multifactorial nature, cure does not lie in any
one particular thing.
The basic message from this article then is that you should
understand that cancer is simply a failure of the immune system,
its causes are multi-factorial and interrelated and that
conventional medicine will only offer you the cut, burn, poison
treatment paradigm of cancer. This may work for you if you
happen to be one of those rare people with an extremely
resilient body that can undergo sustained abuse and still come
out on top. This treatment paradigm works against your
entire body, not with it or in support of it, because its mechanism
is to poison the entire body after calculating what amount of
poison will kill the tumour without killing the patient. Given that 
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the central, key element all along in this disease is the efficiency
and functionality of the immune system, this realization will put
you in a better position to take measures that will give you a much
better chance of cure and survival.
In the next part in this series we will take a basic look at the body’s
immune response, how it works and how it is mobilised.
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Part 4 - The Body’s In-Built Anti-Cancer
Mechanism
Continuing from Part 3, wherein we explained that every body
develops cancer cells and that a healthy “immune system”
efficiently removes those cells: In fact, microscopic tumours may
develop in many people but then disappear without even being
detected at all because the immune system managed to dispose
of them. Thus, individual cancer cells may be eliminated straight
away or may develop into microscopic tumours which are
eventually eliminated but are never significant enough to be
detected or impact a person’s health. It is clear from this and also
from “spontaneous regression” [where cancer suddenly
disappears from a patient] that certain components of the
immune system stop cancer. It is the presence of these
components and the efficiency with which they are mobilised and
with which they function that affect a cancer patient’s cure and
survival.
The immune system is able to detect whether normal cells have
turned into cancer cells. White blood cells known as TLymphocytes play this role. These cells travel in the body
scouting for abnormal cells and any foreign proteins that may
have been secreted by tumour cells. Lymphocytes make up
around a quarter to a third of the total white blood cell count and
they increase when the body suffers from certain infections. They
are made in the bone-marrow and come in two forms: The Tcells and the B-cells.
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The T-cells mature in the thymus gland which is behind the
breastbone and they play numerous roles in the immune
response. The B-cells are the ones that produce antibodies to
neutralize foreign bodies that have found their way in the
blood and tissues. The B-Lymphocytes produce
specific antibodies to foreign materials, this is how they work.
Certain types of T-Lymphocytes alert other white blood cells in
the immune system that cancer cells have been detected, so they
act by providing signals. When alerted, certain lymphocytes
produce anti-cancer chemicals in response to the signal. These
chemicals are known as cytokines, and they include tumour
necrosis factor (TNF), just another way of saying a chemical that
induces death in a tumour cell, interleukin and interferon.
Basically, this is the body’s natural way of killing the cancer cells,
it is a kind of ‘chemotherapy’ so to speak, except that it does not
target any healthy cells, only the abnormal cells. [This contrasts
with the conventional chemotherapy treatment where toxic
poison is administered to the entire body, it is not specific or
targeted. In the process this destroys the immune system and
makes a person prone to other potentially fatal secondary
ailments such as infections].
Another special form of lymphocyte which provides an immediate
and powerful means of protection against cancer is what is
referred to as natural killer (NK) cells. They can migrate to the
site of the cancer and destroy the abnormal (malignant) cells
before they can divide and multiply. In a healthy and
normal immune system, these NK cells descend rapidly on any
microscopic tumour and destroy it. Thus, many tumours never get
past the microscopic stage and would never manifest any 
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symptoms. NK cells are effective in preventing spread
of cancer cells to other parts of the body where they would
otherwise seed new tumour growths.
Finally, macrophages, which are large cells supporting the
detoxification process. They scavenge debris and store wastes and
they are a major part of the body’s first line of defence. They
destroy cancer cells by splitting them apart and swallowing
(ingesting) them. They have other roles too, regulating cell
reproduction and the activities of other immune cells. The
functionality of macrophages is significant in that it can determine
whether tumour cells will continue to thrive or die. Increased
macrophage activity is associated with decreased tumour growth.
From the above we understand that the immune system has
various types of lymphocytes that perform different functions.
They can signal the production of other chemicals such as TNF,
interleukin and inteferon. There are NK cells and also
macrophages. All of these are part and parcel of the body’s
inherent ability to destroy cancer cells, to break down
microscopic tumours, devour them, break them down and
eliminate them as waste. It is clear then that cancer is simply a
result of the immune system’s breakdown or inability to carry
out this process efficiently and rapidly enough to prevent
microscopic tumours from growing much bigger.
A critical stage is reached when - after having gone through the
phases of hyperplasia, then neoplasticity, then a tumour - the
tumour cells start signalling for capillaries to extend in its
direction. This is what the tumour’s ultimate goal is, to ensure a
supply of nutrition for itself to stay alive and its 
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primary nutrition is glucose. It will establish a capillary network
extending into itself for this purpose. Once this stage has been
reached, it will grow quickly. When things get to this level [and
often it is around this stage when tumours are detected
and cancer is diagnosed] it is a clear indication of the breakdown
of the immune system. Something went wrong somewhere: The
signals were not sent, there were not enough lymphocytes, the
right cells were not being activated in the right amounts and so
on. And why did this happen? Because of a sustained period
of stress and trauma on the immune system arising due to a
combination of factors.
Further, and to make matters worse, cancer has the ability to send
signals to affect the functioning of the immune system, it
essentially fights against it to ensure its own survival. Tumour cells
secrete enzymes to disable activation of immune system cells that
have the ability to eliminate them.
To summarise, the key thing to take from this article then is
that immune system already has an in-built anti-cancer, selfhealing mechanism. This mechanism has broken down or has
been unable to operate efficiently, leading to
opportune cancer cells - over a particular period of time - to
develop into their own mass, competing with the vital organs of
the body to acquire nutrition. Eventually, the cancer makes
attempts to inhibit the immune response for its own growth and
survival. Any genuine cure for cancer must involve restoring
the immune system to its healthy condition and identifying the
factors that compromised it and treating them accordingly and
appropriately. Treatments which ignore this crucial aspect are not
really cures but only attempts to do away with the signal of 
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thedisease ((the lump or bump) and not the actual disease itself -
refer to the car and warning light analogy in Part 2.
Now, whether we are looking at cancer from the angle of
prevention or from the angle of treatment and cure, it is important
to look at these factors that stress the immune system. In the next
part we will look twenty or so factors that contribute to cancer.
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Part 5: The Initiators and Promoters of Cancer
This part in the series is lengthy due to the nature of the subject
being discussed. It will be very educational and greatly rewarding
if you take the time to read through it all with deliberation.
As we have already learned that cancer is really a breakdown of
the immune system’s ability to routinely eliminate abnormal cells,
it is important that we look at all causes and factors that trigger
off processes which facilitate the development of cancer.
In an earlier part in this series we spoke about the word
‘carcinogen’ which is usually used to refer to chemicals or
radiation. This is a limited definition, since there a variety of other
things that are cancer-causing or cancer-facilitating. Hence, all of
the things that we are going to mention further below are
considered to be carcinogenic, meaning causing, starting or
facilitating cancer.
It is useful to divide ‘carcinogen’ with this broad definition into
initiators and promoters.
Initiators act as triggers which lead to a cell becoming abnormal.
This involves damage to the cell DNA or genes. Thus,
ionizing radiation for example, leads to DNA damage and this
would be an initiator or a trigger. It creates the abnormal cells in
the first place. These cells then multiply, creating more abnormal
cells.
Promoters are things that do not damage genetic material but
they facilitate or support the growth of the abnormal cells in any 
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of the three stages (hyperplasia, neoplastic or cancerous). So when
the cancer process has been triggered by an initiator or more, it
will lie undetected because it is only very small at this stage.
However, cancer promoters will facilitate and enhance the growth
of this small number of abnormal cells and favour them over the
normal cells. Now exactly where the tumour begins to grow and
develop will depend on numerous factors, but
the cancer promoting processes can sometimes have an influence
on which location in the body the cancer cells lodge and grow due
to favoured circumstances. Thus, cancer cells can migrate to other
sites in the body, away from where they were initially triggered.
From the above we should understand that the development
of cancer will depend on the level of exposure to cancer initiating
‘carcinogens’ and ‘cancer promoting’ processes which involve
weakening of the immune system. If and when a person
develops cancer is subject to these two affairs, triggers and
promoters, and the extent to which a person is exposed to them in
his or her lifestyle.
Now lets look at the list of initiators, promotors, facilitators (in no
particular order):
1. Chronic (long-term) EMF Exposure: Electromagnetic
fields are invisible energy flows created by electricity that
turn into magnetic fields. They can affect the balance of
the biochemistry of the human body and in turn contribute
to development of disease. Man-made EMF emitting
devices and installations are more harmful than naturally
occurring EMFs. Modern homes tend to be surrounded
with EMF producers that stress the body over the long 
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term. Electrical wiring, computers, terminals, microwaves,
lighting, fridges and so on all emit these fields. These types
of device emit higher frequencies, way above those of the
human body, and can lead too disturbing the brain’s
natural frequencies. This in turn can lead to cellular fatigue
and contribute to the overall compromise of the immune
system.
2. Sunlight: Solar radiation, ultraviolet-B and ultravioletC radiation is a carcinogen and affects those with fair skin.
One of the highest rates of skin cancer is in Australia. Long
exposure to this radiation triggers abnormal skin cells by
damaging DNA. Skin cancer takes three forms depending
on which type of skin cell is affected: Melanoma, squamous
and basal.
3. Ionizing Radiation: These are high-energy rays which can
disturb matter and cause genetic damage, leading to
abnormal cells and ultimately to cancer. [This type
of radiation is found in X-ray technology]. Refer to this
report [Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation] from
Washington University. It should be noted that diagnostic
and therapeutic procedures often involved X-rays and may
be contributing factors to cases of cancer. The general rule
is that the greater and more sustained the exposure the
greater the risk of developing cancer.
4. Nuclear Radiation: Living near nuclear power plants
increases the risk of developing cancer in case of leaks and
accidents where radioactive gases are released. A person
may also consume foods which have been tainted by
radioactive releases without knowing it. Cancer rates 
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increase rapidly in places of high-level exposure such as
nuclear bombs and nuclear disasters (Chernobyl).
5. Pesticides and Herbicides: This is a particularly huge
problem. The use of pesticides in agriculture has grown to
a staggering level. Through this route many toxic
chemicals enter the human body causing both damage to
cells and also suppressing the body’s biochemistry in its
immune function. Despite regulations being used to limit
use, these pesticides are very durable and remain in the
environment for very long times. Studies have been
performed which look at foreign chemicals found in the
human body and they reveal that exposure begins right in
the womb. In other words, due to the proliferation of
these pesticides, the average person is likely to have them
circulating in his or her body, potentially from before birth.
When tumour masses are examined, they are often found
to have unusually high-rates of toxic chemical
residues. Pesticides can lead to very low T-cell and B-cell
counts indicating that they are “promoters” of cancer in
that they make it easier for abnormal cells to grow and
proliferate by suppressing the immune system.
6. Industrial Toxins: A large number of toxic chemicals used
in industrial processes find their way into the
human body. Heavy metals such as aluminium, lead,
arsenic, mercury, nickel, cadmium can accumulate in fat
cells, the nervous system, bones, brain, glands and can
have negative health effects. Higher rates of cancer are
found in places close to toxic waste dump sites. Many of
these chemicals can mimic the effect of estrogen once they
get inside the body. Whilst on their own, the effect is 
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minimal, when the number of these chemicals increase,
the effect is magnified. Many breast cancers are caused
due to these types of toxins. An example is bisphenol A (an
endocrine disrupter used in plastics). In women, breast
tissue can serve as a dump site for toxic chemicals in
the body. Cancer tissue in the breast will routinely
contain pesticides, industrial chemicals and other toxins.
In men, the prostate is also a dump site for toxic
chemicals in the body. Certain types of professions are at
increased risk of cancer because of exposure to industrial
toxins. Those exposed to asbestos in the building and
demolition industries, those who spray insecticides
or pesticides, those who work in tanning or any process
that makes use of chemicals toxic to the body have an
increased risk of cancer.
7. Polluted Water: Both tap and ground water may
contain toxic chemicals including metals, pesticides,
synthetic organic chemicals, solvents and even radioactive
chemicals if there has been a leak around a nuclear plant
which has found its way into the water supply.
8. Chlorinated Water: Adding chlorine to water kills
harmful bacteria. Due to the logistics of getting water into
households across the terrain of the earth, the risk of
contamination of the water is very high. Hence water
companies add chlorine to the water. Whilst this serves an
objective, the chlorine itself can form cancer-causing
compounds. During summer, the amount of chlorine
added tends to increase because warm weather favours
the growth of bacteria. These cancer causing chlorinated
compounds elevate the risk of colon and rectal cancers. 
25
When toxic chlorine reacts with organic molecules
in water, trihalomethanes can be formed (such as
chloroform and trichloroethylene), which
promote cancer in the body. A particularly toxic mutagen is
known as MX - and it shows up in every single
chlorinated water source. That this compound (and others)
is produced in chlorinated water is known to the
authorities and they have commissioned studies on it to try
and measure its impact. Refer to this UK government
report for example to get a glimpse on the subject. In short,
chlorine in water that is not free of organic materials is a
recipe for carcinogenic compounds being created and you
would be drinking them, or bathing in them. This would
simply count as one of numerous stresses on the
human body whose combined effect facilitate the
appearance and growth of cancer.
9. Tobacco and Cigarette Smoke: Obviously you do not have
to be a smoker, if you are exposed to smoke from tobacco
and cigarettes you will be breathing the most
potent carcinogens. This is known as ‘passive smoking’.
Smoking (including passive) has been linked to a wide
variety of cancers involving the various major organs of the
body: mouth, throat, vocal cords, lungs, stomach, kidney,
cervix, pancreas, lips, tongue and so on. Hundreds of toxic
chemicals are released through the smoke including
carbon monoxide which limits the amount of oxygen going
to vital organs such as the brain. Smoking has two main
effects. First, it produces harmful free radicals that induce
cell damage. Second, it has adverse effects on the immune
system. Hence, it is a potent cancer initiator and promoter.
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10. Immune System Suppressing Drugs: A significant number
of conventional drugs and antibiotics have serious
suppressive effects upon the immune system. These drugs
decrease antibody production and suppress the vitality of
the immune system. This also includes chemotherapy
drugs which often lead to secondary tumours (see further
below).
11. Food Additives: A very large number of
chemical additives are put into the food supply.
These additives have not been sufficiently tested on
humans to determine adverse health effects over long
periods of time. These additives can include artificial
sweeteners, preservatives, anti-fungals, dyes amongst
others. Steroids and antibiotics also find their way into the
food supply and increase cancer risk.
12. Mercury Toxicity: The most common form
of mercury exposure in people comes
from mercury amalgams in tooth fillings. Recognising this
danger, numerous European governments (Denmark,
Sweden, Norway for example) have banned the use of
silver amalgam fillings, making them illegal. Other
countries (Germany, Austria) have banned them for use
on children, pregnant women and those with
certain health conditions. mercury is a carcinogen and
impairs the body’s immune system. Exposure leads to a
huge increase in free radicals that cause cellular DNA
damage, thereby creating cancer cells. When inhaled in
the body, it forms into methylmercury which is a 100 times
greater in toxicity in elemental mercury.
27
13. Diet and Nutritional Deficiencies: Both what we eat and
what we do not eat can contribute to the initiation of
cancer by creating a nutritionally deficient and starved
system. There are certain factors related to food such as
quality, nutritional value, how it is grown, how it has been
processed, how it is cooked, all of these play an important
role how the body is benefited or harmed through the
intake of food. Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies can
act as promoters of cancer once it has set in through other
factors. Whilst this is a topic in itself, a few notable things
can be mentioned: Excessive animal meat intake,
contaminated fish, hydrogenated vegetable fats,
refined carbohydrates and sugar, excessive caffeine are
just some dietary factors involved in the facilitation
of cancer.
14. Chronic Stress: The mind plays a large role in disease and
emotional stress is a contibuting factor to the
cancer development process. This is because the immune
and nervous system are linked through a network of nerve
endings in the bone-marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and
thymus gland (a major source of T-Lymphocyte cells). Also,
chemical messengers (hormones) can be found on the
surface of white blood cells [catecholamines,
prostaglandins, thyroid hormone, serotonin, endorphins
and so on]. This indicates that the immune, hormone
and nervous system are all linked. Thus, the mind and
emotional states can have an effect on cancer (and other
states of disease or health). This knowledge helps us to
appreciate that cures can be effected by numerous means
and are not limited to what is commonly known and 
28
practiced. This is why spiritual healings [which are coupled
with emotions such as hope, anticipation, optimism and so
on which promote and aid healing] are only dismissed by
those who are ignorant of the ways and means and
ignorant of the reality of medicine. Chronic stress upsets
the immune system and it is a promoter of the cancerous
process.
15. Emotional Trauma and toxic Emotions: toxic emotions
which are deep and remain for long periods of time
generate symptoms which keep underlying illnesses in
place. There are connections between emotions and
biochemical events in the body. Emotions can be viewed as
toxins, since toxins can be chemicals, affecting the
body and they can also be thoughts, ideas and wrong
harmful beliefs. The presence or absence of these
emotions and stresses can determine the difference
between cure/survival and greater illness/death.
16. Air Pollution: Due to the industrial processes, automobiles
and other affairs, the air is becoming increasingly polluted.
Chemicals entering the body through pollution can affect
the hormonal and other biochemical systems, thereby
affecting the immune system. Sustained exposure
to air pollution can be a facilitator, a promoter
of cancer growth, once cancer cells have been created by
other factors.
17. Depressed Thyroid: Low thyroid activity (hypothyroidism)
is being identified as a condition in the presence of
which cancer growth is facilitated. The things that cause
low thyroid activity are some of the other factors listed
here. In women, pollution seems to be a particular 
29
problem. Often women who move to places where there is
a lot of air pollution [due to heavy traffic, industrial
processes, construction and so on], they develop thyroid
problems. Medication would not really solve the problem
because the underlying cause will remain unless they move
from this harmful environment.
18. Intestinal Toxicity and Digestive Impairment: The
intestines are over 25 feet long when stretched out and can
harbour the seeds of diseases when they become clogged
and toxic on account of what is eaten and how poorly
waste material is eliminated. Due to poor dietary habits
and intake the gut flora (good bacteria) presence can be
overcome by opportune, disease causing bacteria and
parasites. Numerous cancers, allergies, infections, skin
diseases, asthma and other conditions initially start out in
the intestines. A toxic bowel leads to toxicity in the rest of
the body and impacts the immune system significantly.
Toxins leech out of the intestinal wall and accumulate in
lymph vessels. Bad dietary habits can lead to damage to
the stomach lining, a lining in the intestines that prevents
absorption, weakening of gut flora, undigested proteins
(due to excessive meat intake) acted upon by bacteria to
create nitrosamines which are cancer-causing,
increased inflammation and other negative effects.
Combined, these adversely affect the immune
system making this a major cancer promoter.
19. Parasites: These tend to reside in the intestines but can
migrate to the blood, lymph, liver, pancreas and other
organs. They produce numerous symptoms such as
diarrhoea, gas, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, joint 
30
aches, muscle aches, disturbed sleep, fatigue and gradual
immune impairment. Parasites can also release toxins that
damage cells and create inflammation.
20. Blocked Detox Pathways: In a healthy body, its
detoxification systems, chief of which is the liver, are able
to eliminate toxins and prevent illnesses. However, these
systems can be functionally blocked by a combination of
the other factors mentioned and this leads to the major
players in the immune system, such as lymphocytes,
macrophages, natural killer cells and others being unable
to efficiently detect and eliminate abnormal cells. The
following types of system overload can overwhelm and
block the body’s inherent anticancer defences: a)Metabolic
Overload. This is when a person is exposed persistently to
high doses of toxins such as drugs, smoke, alcohol,
chemicals, metals and so on. This will overwhelm the
metabolic system and make a person prone to developing
tumours. b) Endocrine Overload. Hormones can stimulate
abnormal growth of cells. Growth hormones added to cows
for example end up in dairy products, and estrogen
mimicking chemicals which enter the body as
environmental pollutants and toxins act upon susceptible
cells (such as breast cells) to seed tumours. Pollutants such
as DDT, DDE and PCBs (poly-chlorinated biphenyls) and
BPA (bisphenol-A) are implicated as causes
of Breast cancer. c) Free-Radical Overload. Free
radicals will be discussed separately below, but they have
capacity to attack and destroy the membranes of cells,
making them vulnerable to cancer initiators. These free
radicals may also interact with cellular DNA leading 
31
to cancer formation. d) Immune Overload. It is possible for
the immune system to be too overloaded in dealing with
other things (such as food allergies for example) to be able
to divert resources (such as macrophages) do destroy and
devour cancer cells. This means that cancer cells are able
to multiply freely. Often those who develop cancer have
some other underlying condition that is causing an
overload and preventing their immune system from
neutralising the cancer cells from the very beginning. An
example of what preoccupies the immune system is
chronic tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) or whatever
is similar.
21. Free Radicals: free radicals are unstable molecules which
steal electrons from other molecules thereby inducing
damage and harmful effects. They are produced when
molecules in cells react with oxygen (oxidize) as part of a
normal metabolic process. If they are not controlled, they
can break down cells, damage enzymes, cell membranes,
lipoproteins, DNA and chromosomes. They can be
produced by external influences too such
as radiation, pollution as well as metabolism and immune
system action. When free radicals production goes on
uncontrolled, this plays a major role in the development of
a very large number of degenerative conditions
including cancer, heart disease and premature aging.
Things that increase free radical production include
pollution, smoking, stress, certain types of food,
excessive exercise, inflammation amongst others. Antioxidants are natural biochemical substances that protect
living cells from harmful free radical. They 
32
include vitamins A, C, E, Beta-carotene, selenium, coenzyme Q10, L-Glutathione, bioflavonoids amongst
others. Garlic and Gingko Bilboa are plant antioxidants.
The amount of anti-oxidants in the system determines the
normal functioning of the immune system. Thus, exposure
to things which increase free radical creation and lack of
anti-oxidants can lead to cancer-creation process being set
triggered because cells are being damaged and becoming
abnormal faster than they can be protected or destroyed.
22. Lack of Cellular Oxygen When cells are starved of oxygen
they transform into cancerous cells according to two-time
Nobel-prize winning Biochemist, Dr. Otto Warburg. When
deprived of oxygen, cells turn to a “primitive” state of
existence and rely on glucose reactions for survival. This is
a very inefficient method and takes up a lot of energy. It
also produces lactic acid which puts a strain on
the body and creates imbalances inpH levels. Over time, as
acidity increase, cells find it more and more difficult to use
oxygen normally. Cancerous tumours can contain ten
times more lactic acid than normal healthy tissues. Some
of the ways that cells can become oxygen deficient include
exposure to pollution, devitalized foods (overcooked,
processed, preserved with chemicals), lack of exercising,
shallow breathing.
23. Genetic Predisposition and Oncogenes A large amount
of cancer research today focuses on genetic causes and
origins of cancer. Oncogenes (meaning the genes that start
a tumour mass) have been described and they are said to
transform normal cells into cancer cells. Hence, they are
initiators. Conventional cancer research tends to treat the 
33
oncogene as the primary causal unit in cancer. However,
this is not correct. Environmental factors constitute around
80% of the cause of cancer. Genes may predispose a
person to develop cancer, but only in the right
circumstances. If the bodies repair mechanisms are not
functioning optimally [due to factors we have already
mentioned above] then any cancer cells produced through
oncogenes will be able to multiply for longer, eventually
leading to a tumour mass. It is important to note about the
gene-causation theory that we are dealing with
susceptibility to the disease and not a guarantee that
inherited genes guarantee a person will get cancer.
Environmental factors are the greatest influence.
It is important to add a few more things to this list although
separately. They are carcinogens used to treat a person who
has cancer. The following information is from the American
Cancer Society.3 Quotes are from this document.
25. Chemotherapy: ”Some types of chemotherapy (chemo)
drugs have been linked with different kinds of cancer... The
chemo drugs cisplatin and carboplatin...seem to increase
the risk of leukemia... The risk of leukemia rises as the
amount of drug used gets higher. The risk of developing
leukemia increases even more if radiation is given along
with cisplatin or carboplatin... The class of chemo drugs
called topoisomerase II inhibitors stop cells from being
able to repair DNA. These drugs can also cause leukemia,

3 The original document is here:
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002043-
pdf.pdf
34
mainly AML... Some drugs used to treat cancer are called
targeted therapy drugs because they were designed to
fight cancer by targeting certain genes or proteins... People
taking these drugs have a higher risk of squamous cell
carcinomas of the skin.”
26. Radiotherapy: ”Radiation therapy was recognized as a
potential cause of cancer many years ago... In contrast,
other cancers, which are mostly solid tumors, have been
shown to take much longer to develop. Most of these
cancers are not seen for at least 10 years
after radiation therapy, and some are diagnosed even
more than 15 years later... In general, the risk of developing
a solid tumor after radiation treatment goes up as the dose
of radiation increases. Some cancers require larger doses
of radiation than others, and certain treatment techniques
use more radiation.”
27. Stem Cell Transplants: ”Stem cell transplants involve
treatment with high doses of chemotherapy, sometimes
with radiation, followed by an infusion of blood stem cells
to restore the bone marrow... Any kind of stem cell
transplant is linked to an increased risk of second cancers
from the chemotherapy and radiationused.”
From everything that has preceded: We can see that the root
causes of cancer are multifactorial and they all center around two
fundamental things: a) environmental influences that trigger
the cancer process and b) factors which impair the immune
system from doing its job of eliminating cancer cells as a matter of
routine. Different factors are at play for different people and
different types of cancer will develop on the way these factors 
35
influence and interact with the human body. In light of this,
any cure has to be empirical. Meaning that treatment must be
based entirely around each individual patient and his unique
circumstances. This type of holistic treatment is never available in
conventional medicine and nor is it even considered legitimate.
One should note that the first perception of cancer we looked at
through our analogy in Part 2 of this series does not really concern
itself much with most of what has been discussed in this article
and is concerned only with annihilation of the tumour through the
routes of cutting (surgery), poisoning (chemotherapy) and burning
(radiotherapy) even at the expense of setting the person up for
secondary cancers which can sometimes not even show up till
many years later (thus it can be easily denied that the treatment
caused more cancer). Most of the factors discussed above which
are the initiators and promoters of cancer in a person will be
completely ignored. It is here that we enter the world of “Cancer
Politics” where surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have
been made the law of the land with an iron fist. As we have said
repeatedly in this series, this is a narrow-minded, deficient
approach - as is clear to any intelligent, reasonable, thinking
person - and to understand why things have turned this way
requires a few history lessons on how the modern cancer industry
got established which is outside the scope of this series.
Now we have one more thing left in this article to make it more
complete and of greater benefit and this is an exercise for the
reader. Invent a few scenarios around a few imaginary people.
Let’s take four people: Bilal, Ahmed, John and Sarah. And give
them all a particular lifestyle and environment. Using the
information from above about the initiators and promoters 
36
of cancer, try to formulate a story for each person as to how they
may develop cancer and how it could have been avoided.
Whatever stories you come up with will actually exist in real life, in
someone’s life, because this is exactly how
the disease of cancer develops - it is overwhelmingly an
environmental, lifestyle disease.
To conclude this article, we have looked at precipitators
(initiators) and facilitators (promoters) of cancer, and the
important lesson to take from it is that cancer is multifactorial, it is
caused by a combination of factors working together unique to a
person’s lifestyle and environment (genetic factors play a role in
creating susceptibility but are far outweighed by lifestyle and
environment). Looking at things like this and looking at each case
like this means that a non-standard, unique, specifically crafted
form of treatment for each patient is what is demanded in reality -
but in practice this never takes place, because it is too costly and
unprofitable. Thus, the patient is subjected to a limited choice of
treatments which are in themselves carcinogenic and in cases this
may even be legally enforced, especially where children are
involved and well-informed parents wish to pursue a holistic
treatment program.