Vitamin D Prevents Cancer: Is It True?

In a new study, researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D3 and calcium would prevent 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer annually in the US and Canada. The researchers model also predicted that 75% of deaths from these cancers could be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin D3 and calcium. Join Carole Baggerly with GrassrootsHealth as she discusses this new research

Are Vitamins Harmless?

The Guardian | Vitamins 'may raise death risk from cancer' Scary really since most people think vitamins are harmless.

NHS Cancer Screening Programmes

The cancer screening programmes in England are nationally coordinated.

"The NHS Breast Screening Programme is an effective part of the UK's efforts to reduce the death toll from breast cancer. In September 2000, the first research was published which demonstrated that the screening programme has lowered mortality rates from breast cancer in the 55-69 age group. It is estimated that the programme is on course to save 1,250 lives per year (25 per cent reduction in mortality) by the year 2010."



The results of breast cancer screening:
Breast cancer mortality in Copenhagen after introduction of mammography screening

Evidence of the Harmfulness of Smoking

Grows and grows.

But yet, Annual tobacco deaths in poor countries to reach 7 million by 2030.
"Awareness of the health hazards of tobacco is also low. In 1996 two thirds of adult Chinese smokers believed that cigarettes did little or no harm. Low levels of education in many developing countries also make it harder for people to understand the hazards."

Unfortunately it doesn't seem uncommon for Muslims to be amongst this group. Why is the ignorance so commonplace? One of the original studies which showed the cause of the sharp increase in lung cancer rates that begun in the last century, was referred to, in relation to the fiqh ruling on smoking, in the Reliance of the Traveller. [w41.2; Evidence of the Harmfulness of Smoking. Reliance of the Traveller, Ahmad ibn Naqib al Misri, trans.Nuh Ha Mim Keller].

A more accurate picture has now emerged due to the original study having continued to 2001...

The Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years' observations on 34 439 male British doctors study just published, leaves even less room for ignorance or dispute regarding the hazards of smoking:

"Among the particular generation of men born around 1920, cigarette smoking tripled the age specific mortality rates

Among British men born 1900-1909, cigarette smoking approximately doubled the age specific mortality rates in both middle and old age

Longevity has been improving rapidly for non-smokers, but not for men who continued smoking cigarettes

Cessation at age 50 halved the hazard; cessation at 30 avoided almost all of it

On average, cigarette smokers die about 10 years younger than non-smokers

Stopping at age 60, 50, 40, or 30 gains, respectively, about 3, 6, 9, or 10 years of life expectancy"

So let the 60 year old smoker in the family know that even they could gain at least three years of life expectancy by quitting.

"Now, it behoves him for whom death is his destruction, the earth his bed, the worm his intimate, Munkar and Nakir his companions, the tomb his abode and the belly of the earth his resting place, the Arising his tryst and Heaven or Hell his destiny, that he should harbour no thought or recollection but of death. No preparedness or plan should he have save for it, and his every expectation, concern, energy, waiting and anticipation should be for its sake alone."
Imam al-Ghazali, The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife.

The way one of my friends sees things, even though we may not have a terminal illness, we still could die at any time, so, in effect, we may as well think that we do.

Living with Cancer
http://www.eternal-optimist.ca/living/archives/cat_my_story.html

Die Well, Father
http://www.freewebs.com/qalam2/father_ssoekanto.htm

My Mother Has Cancer But Its the Time of My Life
http://www.freewebs.com/qalam2/mother_ssoekanto.htm

Yes, we hate them. They mean anyone can follow us anywhere and at anytime. No corner of the earth seems to be free from them. One even followed my father on Hajj and even when he dropped it at Mina amongst the millions of people someone found it and rung him. Yes, its the mobile phone.

Unfortunately I own up to having one, I have to, as I realise my 3 year old nephew knows what to do with a SIM card before I do. It's hard work keeping up with kids these days. But IS IT SAFE? According to the research available to us...

"Clinical bottom line (2003)
There is no convincing evidence linking mobile phone use to cancers of the head. What evidence we have points to there being no link, though what cannot be excluded is long-term heavy use of mobile phones, with a long latency for cancer development.

There is evidence of a small increased risk of leukaemia with occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields."

Time will tell I suppose.

Mobile phones, magnetic fields, and cancer
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Cancer/mobmagca.html

The Report Tackling cancer in England: saving more lives has just been published by the National Audit Office.

Umm Ilhaam remembers that whilst at Medical School she was taught that in a certain area of England, the Muslim women have really high rates of breast cancer and late diagnosis. This was found to be because they didn't like being examined so left their suspicious symptoms until it was too late. Although this may sound like a ridiculous mistake to some, it still happens. She now practices in this area and has met people where she works who don't like their women (or even themselves!) being treated by "kufar". At the same time they don't like their women to study or work in Medicine. Is it any wonder they have some of the highest rates of disease in the country?

The frightening stats are as follows:

"More than one in three people in England will develop cancer at some point in their life. One in four will die from it. There are about 225,000 new cases per year in England, and some 130,000 deaths. The leading four cancers – breast, lung, bowel and prostate - account for about half of new cases and deaths....

The report stresses that more action is required by patients to report suspicious symptoms.

Today's report highlights the fact that the most effective way of preventing cancer is for people to stop smoking. One contribution to this is that the NHS has encouraged hundreds of thousands of people to stop at least for a short period."

Read the report http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/03-04/0304364.htm

Some medical fiqh relating to treatment by the non-Mulsim or opposite gender:

The order in seeking medical treatment (for a woman) would be from a:

a) Muslim female doctor
b) non-Muslim female doctor
c) Muslim male doctor
d) Non-Muslim male doctor

see full article:
http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00002659.aspx

and also, "I have a breast lump but donÂ’t want to be examined by a male doctor"
http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00003021.aspx