Lifestyle and Diet Changes After Cancer.

Hard to see how healthy eating can be bad, it's just not necessarily a protection or a cure (take that, Paleo Pete!!). Negative stress (a little bit of occasional stress may be quite good for us) can certainly cause a number of physical health problems, but the evidence that it can cause cancer is weak. Some studies have indicated a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer, but others have not.

People under stress may smoke, overeat or drink alcohol, which can increase a person’s risk for cancer. And some who do these things never get cancer - my lifelong pipe smoking grandfather, who died because his heart stopped at 94,  hardly ever saw a doctor, let alone get cancer!  A family may have a higher risk for cancer because of an inherited risk factor, which must be stressful but it's not the stress that causes the illness to another family member, it's the inherited risk. I have limited my intake of dairy fat because of a study about breast cancer recurrence, but I also note that the study did not factor in how many of the women surveyed (also no food diary!) had discontinued hormonal therapy. Given Australian stats are that nearly 60% of women don't complete their 5 or 10 years, that might make a significant difference. Or not.

One day we will know for sure what causes cancers but not yet. My own entirely unqualified opinion is that it may be an accumulation of factors that tips the balance. Which is not much comfort, but "putting something better in our bodies" sounds a good idea anyway.