Stroke Survivors Are More Prone To Cancer Than Others

A study has recently warned that stroke survivors are almost doubly at risk of developing cancer. The findings indicated that nearly 45 percent of cancer diagnoses occurred within the first six months after a stroke diagnosis. "Post-mortem studies have suggested that cancer can develop after a stroke, but the magnitude of this association has not been described," said lead author Dr Jacobo Rogado from Hospital de La Princesa in Madrid, Spain. "We conducted a study that would allow us to establish whether this association actually exists and which factors may predict risk," Rogado added. Researchers reviewed the medical records of all 914 patients admitted from the emergency room to the stroke unit of Hospital de La Princesa between January 2012 and December 2014.

A total of 381 patients met the inclusion criteria and were followed for 18 months from the diagnosis of stroke. During the 18-month follow-up, 29 (7.6 percent) of stroke survivors were diagnosed with cancer, most frequently in the colon, lung and prostate. This was higher than the expected incidence of 17 patients (4.5 percent), based on statistics for the general population. The average time from stroke onset to cancer diagnosis was six months. Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of cancer patients were presented with metastatic or locally advanced disease. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients of older age (>76 years), previous diagnosis of cancer, high levels of fibrinogen (>450 mg/dl) and low levels of haemoglobin (<13 g/dl), were associated with cancer. Rogado stated that the incidence of cancer in stroke survivors was almost twice that of the general population. When cancer was diagnosed it was usually at an advanced stage and the diagnosis was made within six months after a stroke. This indicates that the cancer was already present when the stroke occurred but there were no symptoms." The research is scheduled to be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress in Madrid.

There's good news. Food can help you win your war against cancer. Most people, unless you are a doctor or patient of cancer, are unaware that cancer grows out of cells that every person normally has in their body. It's certain bad habits or genes that makes these cells grow abnormally, creating a tumor. Inflammation is the major cause of this abnormal growth, which can get triggered because of many reasons like eating too much sugar, packaged food, refined carbs or oil.

But findings of 2010 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition show that consuming anti-inflammatory foods and making some lifestyle changes can actually reduce your chances of getting cancer by up to 40%! Any food that is high in antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory phytonutrients is a cancer-fighting superfood. And any food that is rich in phthalates or toxins is a cancer-causing food. So here's a list of a few anti-cancer foods that you should definitely include in your everyday diet to ward off cancer.


1. Leafy Greens

This includes vegetables like spinach, lettuce and kale. These veggies are rich sources of antioxidants like Vitamin C, beta-carotene and lutein that fight off damage causing free-radicals. The American Institute for Cancer Research has shown that chemicals called glucosinolates in these foods reprogram cancer cells to die.

2. Broccoli, Cabbage and Cauliflower

These foods are rich in glutathione, an antioxidant which has high radical-killing ability. Also, as good sources of isothiocyanates, they detox the body at a cellular level to prevent cancer. Broccoli in particular is dense in sulforaphane, a compound that boosts the production of protective enzymes in our body to fight cancer.

3. Tomato

The carotenoid lycopene, that gives tomatoes it's characteristic red color has been found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth, according to a study published in Nutrition and Cancer. The juicy fruit can also save men from prostate cancer because of its antioxidants that protect the DNA in our cells from damage.

4. Berries

Cherries, strawberries, black raspberry and most other berries are super sources of proanthocyanidin antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin A. Additionally, they possess a powerful antiviral agent called gallic acid that strengthens our immunity system to identify and kill cancerous cells.

With inputs from ANI
 

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