The 2nd Leading Cause of Death in the United States
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
Howard F. Loomis
Jr., DC
Some time ago, I was asked to write a series of articles that discussed the ten leading causes of death in the United States. I found the request challenging and set out to write the articles with a view toward chiropractic clinicians trying to prevent the onset of a chronic degenerative process in their patients before a disease process could be diagnosed.
I started by getting government statistics for the leading causes of death in the United States. I was surprised to find that the most recent government figures were released in 2014 and apparently, no lists have been published since, at least by the government. I was also surprised that deaths due to prescription drugs and medical errors had been eliminated from the tabulations. According to the 2014 report, nearly 75 percent of all deaths in the United States are attributed to just 10 causes, with the top three (heart disease, cancer, and COPD) accounting for over 50 percent of all deaths.
The list does include deaths due to accidents and suicide. I eliminated those from my article list.
I started at the end of the list (#9 Kidney disease) and have been moving steadily upward. This month I reach #2, Cancer. I almost decided to skip cancer since it lies well beyond the scope of chiropractic and early detection is difficult if even possible for the practicing chiropractor.
But, I decided that perhaps I could find some recent studies that might be of interest to the readers of this series. So here goes. . .
The term cancer represents a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells and further identified by the organ or tissue involved. Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer in both men and women.
Estimates of cancer-related deaths in 2016 By The American Cancer Society Males Females Lung and bronchus - 85,920 Lung and bronchus - 72,160 Prostate - 26,120 Breast - 40,450 Colon and rectum - 26,020 Colon and rectum - 23,170
The recent literature on cancer studies is vast and mind-bending to contemplate. But here are two choices that I hope you will find interesting, I can promise you a fascinating read. The first deals with how cancer cells produce energy and the second is what happens when the cancer cells do not find an adequate source of energy.
How Healthy Cells Produce Energy
All tissues have a requirement for glucose to function normally. Healthy cells take in glucose molecules which they break down (glycolysis) to extract energy. This hap-
pens in two phases:
• First, the cell takes blood glucose into its cytoplasm. Only about 5 percent of glucose's energy can be extracted here.
• Next, the glucose is moved into the mitochondria, the so-called power plant of the cell. 95 percent of the energy can be extracted here.
• Oxygen is required to produce energy in the mitochondria and lactate is produced as a waste product. Lactate is then excreted by the cell and removed by the blood.
How Cancer Cells Produce Energy
Sept./14/2016 - Washington University in St. Louis
Cancer cells are thought to skip the high-energy producing mitochondrial phase of energy production. They do this by revving up energy production in the cytoplasm the first phase and breaking down glucose rapidly to secrete large quantities of the waste lactate.
It is well known that cancer cells do soak up more glucose than healthy cells. In fact, this increased glucose uptake is significant enough to be the basis of an imaging technique used to diagnose cancer.
Nevertheless, it has remained a mystery why cancer cells would discard most of the lactate and energy that could be produced from glucose in the mitochondria. What advantage would that provide?
The September 2016 advance online issue of Nature Chemical Biology described the surprising results of a seemingly simple experiment that challenged this notion of cancer metabolism. Scientists showed that cancer cells can move lactate into the mitochondria where the rest of the glucose energy can then be extracted. The cells weren't just extracting extra energy from lactate, their mitochondria possess an enzyme that metabolizes lactate to produce energy and cellular building blocks.
It turns out that when cells metabolize glucose in the cytoplasm, it produces electrons. Healthy cells move the electrons into the mitochondria, but cancer cells make electrons faster than transport can keep up. They must put the electrons somewhere, or the tightly regulated metabolic reactions stop. This forces cancer cells to stick the electrons on lactate. Now, it can enter the mitochondria.
What if the Cancer Cells do not receive an adequate energy supply? Study Reveals Why Cancer Cells Spread within the Body
Jan./19/2017 - by Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Despite decades of research, understanding why cancer cells become invasive has remained shrouded in mystery. A new study has identified an ancient cellular response, conserved through eons of evolution, that underlies the spread of the aggressive skin cancer melanoma. Published in the journal Genes & Development, the study illuminates the crucial role that energy deprivation plays in the spread of cancer cells.
Cancer cells are often molded into a metastatic state by the internal enviromnent of the tumor, which is plagued by low oxygen supply, inflammatory conditions or a dire shortage of nutrients.
The researchers show that when deprived of a key nutrient, melanoma cells switch on an innate stressresponse mechanism that stops the production of proteins that drive cell division but, step up the production of those that help them recycle and import nutrients. At the same time, this mechanism also sparks up a program to go mobile and seek food.
They found this mechanism is a potent driver of cancer's spread. When the researchers starved melanoma cells they formed far more tumors than did their well-fed peers.
Notably, the study shows that inflammatory signals, which are known to fuel tumor progression and metastasis, appear to activate the same stress response mechanism in melanoma cells.
The mechanism itself is normal and innocent. The scientists show that a version of it is employed by certain cells of the embryo as they migrate to shape the body. It is also ancient.
I hope you have found this article interesting. Next month, I can move onto a topic with more clinical applications; recognition of developing heart disease the number 1 killer in the United States.
HowardF. Loomis, Jr., DC, has an extensive background in enzymes and enzyme supplements. He is the founder and president of the Food Enzyme Institute. His extensive knowledge of physiology, biochemistry, and enzymology has made him a sought-after speaker and a prolific writer. The Food Enzyme Institute offers seminars to healthcare practitioners around the country.
Dr. Loomis published ENZYMES: The Key to Health in 1999. He also co-authored and published The Enzyme Advantage: For Healthcare Providers and People Who Care About Their Health in 2015, and The Enzyme Advantage for Women in 2016, with respected medical journalist Arnold Mann.
Contact info: 6421 Enterprise Lane, Madison, WI53 719 customer servicejffoodenzymeinstitute. com, 800-662-2630.
