How to Prevent Cancer

The month of November is Pancreatic cancer awareness month. A mutation in the BRCA gene has been associated with pancreatic cancer, and this is the mutation that Chris Evert had. Chris Evert revealed in an open letter published on ESPN.com that she is cancer free: “I’m sharing my story because my journey isn’t over.” In January 2023, one year after disclosing the diagnosis, the Hall of Famer recounts her successful battle with the disease. Journalist Jon Levey continues in his article, “Chris Evert’s career winning percentage was 90%. After beating back cancer, that’s the same number doctors give her that it’s gone for good. One year after announcing she was diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer, Evert detailed her road to recovery starting with the passing of her younger sister, Jeanne, in February 2020. Not long after, a blood test showed that Chris carried the same BRCA-1 variant that claimed her sister’s life. She underwent an immediate preventative hysterectomy, but pathology uncovered malignant cells and a tumor in her left fallopian tube. Six rounds of chemotherapy followed. ‘It is only because of the genetic road map my sister left behind and the power of scientific progress that we caught my cancer early enough to do something about it,’ said Evert. ‘My doctor said if left undiscovered, in four months’ time I would probably have been Stage 3 like Jeanne, with very few options.’”

After recovering from chemotherapy, Evert had to confront another health crisis. BRCA mutations significantly raise the risk of developing breast cancer, as well as an increased chance of pancreatic cancer. She could monitor the situation with frequent testing or opt for another surgery.

In December 2022, a year to the day of her hysterectomy, Evert had a double mastectomy. The report came back clear, and the risk of her developing breast cancer had been reduced by more than 90 percent.

Of the many millions of people with a BRCA mutation, only 10 percent are aware they are carriers. Evert’s hope in recounting her battle is to raise awareness of genetic testing.

Genetic testing has come a long way and is now being used routinely in cancer care, including its use in the early detection of cancer as in Evert’s case. It is also helpful in monitoring the cancer over the course of treatment, as well as its ability to assist in choosing the correct targeted therapy drugs which act directly on the cancer gene responsible for causing and promoting the cancer to grow.

An important question that Chris and other patients who develop cancer ask is, why did the cancer occur in the first place.

Actress Shannon Doherty who is known for her roles in “Charmed” and “Beverly Hills, 90210,” announced on Instagram that the breast cancer that she was diagnosed with in 2015 has metastasized to her brain. After receiving the news, the 52-year-old started radiation treatment.

In our current culture and system of cancer care, patients are put on a merry-go-round of treatments and procedures. For many people with cancer, the ride is short. They get to NED (no evidence of disease), which is the holy grail for patients with cancer. It is encouraging that NED is increasingly the outcome.

Yet for some patients, NED never shows up or makes only a fleeting appearance. The goal then shifts to progression-free survival for as long as possible.

We all long for cancer to be eliminated completely. This is possible and there are many people who live to be centenarians without ever being diagnosed with cancer and other chronic diseases. They are referred to as being cancer resistant. The key to their lifelong health success is that they maintain a normal immune system until the time they die. Their cancer surveillance immune system is what prevents them from getting cancer.

The goal for us all, and particularly individuals with an increased cancer risk due to their occupation such as firefighters or airline staff, those exposed to radiation, or who have a family history of cancer or genetic risk like Evert with the BRCA-1 variant gene or any other cancer associated gene, is to prevent cancer from developing in the first place. In Evert’s case she had the genetic risk since she was born yet she did not develop cancer until she was age 65.

The immune system and its cancer surveillance changes with aging. With normal aging for most of the population (Centenarians defy cancer by maintaining a healthy immune system), cancer surveillance data shows that the risk of cancer occurring in a 65-year-old is 2,000 times greater than in a 20-year-old. Between the ages of 20 to 40 the immune system remains normal and thereafter it begins to decline and by age 65 it takes a nosedive, hence the increased incidence of not only cancer but other chronic diseases such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s.

Prevention of cancer must be the goal. Many patients are shocked and disappointed when they are told they have cancer, especially after they have been living what they believe to be a healthy lifestyle and doing all the right things to prevent cancer.

Currently available genetic blood tests can detect up to fifty different types of cancers. In Chris’ case it allowed her to be diagnosed early and be treated with six rounds of chemotherapy.

Furthermore, Chris has had double mastectomies to prevent the risk of breast cancer, and she has been told that statistically her risk of ovarian cancer recurrence and breast cancer occurrence have been decreased by 90 percent which are very good odds. But she still has the risk of pancreatic cancer because she still has the BRCA-1 variant gene. She can choose to continue with regular monitoring but that involves the use of X rays and CT scans, which carry their own risks because of the radiation exposure associated with the frequent use of these scans as part of the follow-up process to identify recurrence or occurrence of cancer.

The chemotherapy Evert received poses another risk as occurred in the case of news anchor Robin Roberts who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2007 and received chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat it. Then, at 51, Roberts had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). MDS is a rare and often fatal blood disease in which the bone marrow loses its ability to produce mature blood cells, including white blood cells to fight infection and red blood cells to transport oxygen through the body. MDS following chemotherapy or radiation often transforms into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a life-threatening blood cancer. The two diseases are known together as t-MDS/ AML (treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia). They are significant and serious complications of cancer therapy. But Roberts overcame MDS with help from a lifesaving bone marrow and stem cell transplant from her older sister. This shows the tremendous healing power of stem cells. Concentrated in the bone marrow, they can restore the immune system and repair damaged cells, tissues, and organs throughout the body.

Evert and all cancer patients or individuals at risk of cancer have an additional option which is a personalized and precision-based approach to do blood tests to measure their immune system. As part of this comprehensive test, natural killer cell numbers and function are measured. Natural killer cells are part of the innate immune system and can recognize cancer cells and differentiate them from normal cells. They have spikes on their surface which allow them to penetrate the surface of cancer cells on contact and inject toxins called perforin and granzyme which kill the cancer cells. Thereafter they send signals to the B Cells and T Cells of the adaptive immune system (memory) so that there is a further attack on the cancer, and they provide memory to kill the cancer cells to prevent recurrence in the future. If an immune system test result shows abnormalities, the individual is empowered to take action to correct their cancer surveillance system and prevent the onset or recurrence of cancer.

A further step for those individuals who wish to be proactive and who have a normal immune system blood test is to collect and store their stem cells and immune cells for future restoration of their immune system. This is a safe procedure and each year approximately 20,000 healthy individuals undergo this process and donate their stem cells and immune cells to another unrelated or related person as in the case of Robin Robert’s sister. It is very important for these donations to occur, but everyone can do the same process for themselves. It is likened to having a “twin” whose immune system is not aging because they are stored in the stem cell cryobank.

Chris Evert wrote in her letter, “As relieved as I will be to get to the other side of this, I will always have a heavy heart. I will never heal from losing Jeanne, and I will never take for granted the gift she gave me in the process. My sister’s journey saved my life, and I hope by sharing mine, I just might save somebody else’s.”

Our goal at the Maharaj Institute is for everyone to learn from her story and to be proactive. The way to cure cancer is to prevent it.

Please call Dr. Maharaj at 561-752-5522 to see how he and his team can help you measure and maintain your healthy immune system as well as to test and measure your inflammation. These are non-invasive tests that will provide a clear picture of where your immune health lies, and should it reflect abnormalities, we have the resources to help correct them. We look forward to hearing from you at the Maharaj Institute in Boynton Beach, Florida at 561-752-5522 or info@bmscti.org. Visit us at https://maharajinstitute.com