Smarter Cancer Prevention: Cancer, Meet "Cancer-ing"

Understanding Cancer As Something That's Happening To Your Cells Day In and Day Out.

(Yes, That Means YOU Are In Control.)

Cancer is often viewed as an arbitrary event or a series of unfortunate circumstances, but it's actually a kind of ebbing & flowing process that the body manages daily. With all we know today in 2026, there's just no reason to wait for physical cancer development. (Or to permit it to get to such a stage.) Here are a few concepts that can lead to smarter, proactive cancer prevention for all of us:

1. Continuous Cell Regulation

The human body constantly undergoes cellular changes. Cells divide, differentiate, and sometimes mutate. A properly regulated body has mechanisms to monitor and control these processes, preventing malignant transformations.

2. Immune System Surveillance

The immune system plays a crucial role in identifying and eliminating abnormal cells. By thinking of cancer as a daily process, we recognize the importance of maintaining a robust immune response to effectively control potential cancerous cells.

3. Environmental Influences

Every day, we are exposed to various environmental factors, such as toxins, radiation, and dietary choices, which can influence cellular health. Acknowledging cancer as a process encourages proactive measures to mitigate these risks. Smarter cancer prevention!

4. Lifestyle and Prevention

Understanding cancer as an ongoing process emphasizes the significance of lifestyle choices—such as diet, exercise, and stress management—in cancer prevention. Daily habits can significantly impact cellular health and cancer risk. Smarter cancer prevention.

5. Early Detection Re-Imagined

My idea of "early" cancer detection is to see the signs before any cancer per se is detectable. In the functional medicine world, that points to the use of a urinary 8-OHdG. (There are also, of course, some very new tumor markers, but my understanding & bias still guide me to 8-OHdG.)

8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine as a Discriminatory Biomarker for Early Detection of DNA Damage- and Cancer

Knowing (as in monitoring-- at least initially) one's daily blood glucose fluctuations is also a great place to start for many. Yes, we are talking CGM. And finally, knowing your tox exposure:detox capacity balance-- minimizing the exposure part (including hormone, mainly estrogen, metabolites --but also insulin!) and generously supporting the daily detoxification (now grandly called "biotransformation") part. Smarter cancer prevention.

6. Personalized Medicine

Recognizing the complexity of cancer as a daily process paves the way for personalized medicine, where treatment is tailored to the individual’s unique biological makeup and daily life factors, enhancing treatment effectiveness.

Say It Again

Reframing cancer as a daily process allows for a more comprehensive understanding of its development and management. By focusing on the body's regulatory mechanisms and the impact of daily choices, we can foster a proactive approach to cancer prevention and treatment.

Further reading:

The Cancer Code, Jason Fung, 2020

Metabolical, Robert Lustig, 2021

Attribution: I first discovered this idea of cancer-ing via a TED talk of W. Daniel (Danny) Hillis (PhD, MIT)-- from 15 years ago! Fast-forward to around 11:50 (YouTube link here) to for relevant segment. And a big thank you, Dr. Hillis!