According to the NIH, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515569/ , only 5-10% of cancers are “due to inherited gene defect”. Which means, 90-95% of all other cancers are metabolic, caused by lifestyle choices and environmental factors.

If I was going to tackle the seemingly insurmountable task of “conquering cancer”, then I needed to understand how it came to be in my body. There are several risk factors for cancer development and I had checked off almost every single box, with a few exceptions.

1. Tobacco – While I was never a “smoker”, in my youth I had been a consumer of marijuana for a considerable amount of time. This may not have been a direct cause of my CRC, but everything we do in life that disrupts our immune system activity can have a cumulative effect on our long term health.
2. Alcohol – I was never a heavy drinker. I would have the one or two after work beers and occasionally have some stronger drinks on the weekend. However, once I stopped working full time, I definitely increased my intake. Over the few years prior to my diagnosis, I would have at least 3 drinks per night. I would have 1-2 beers while preparing dinner and 2-3 glasses of wine after. I suppose I was what is referred to as a “functional alcoholic”.
3. Diet – This is a huge category, especially for CRC as everything we eat comes in direct contact with the colon. There are some “foods” that are well known contributors to cancer, and there are also some that are lesser known, or accepted, as risk foods. Processed meat and fried foods are commonly known to not only contribute, but cause cancer. I was a heavy consumer of both. Bacon, lunch meats, spam, hot dogs, french fries and deep fried anything were some of my favorites and a heavy part of my diet. Major contributors that I also enjoyed were red meat, dairy, processed foods and yes, chicken. The real contributor was my high consumption of risk factor foods, while almost completely ignoring fruits and vegetables.
4. Obesity – While not officially considered obese, I was classified as overweight, and I didnt have far to go to get to the next level. Fat is a storage system for many things. Unfortunately, if we are filling our bodies with garbage, then that is what is stored in our fat. So when, and if, our cells need extra energy, the fat is there for them, cancer cells are no exception. Clearly, my fat cells were a generous buffet for any cancer cells wanting an all-you-can-eat adventure.
5. Other Environmental Factors – Infectious Agents: Viruses and parasites, Environmental pollution: Air, water, and chemicals in personal care products, Radiation – Excessive exposure to UV rays, radon, and X-rays, are some of the most common contributors to cancer formation.

In my initial research into cancer causes, I came across the Warburg Effect https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4783224/ one of the most famous, yet little talked about in public circles, conclusions on the life cycle of cancer tumors. While there are many factors that leave some of the findings in question, the basic premise is that cancer cells feed primarily on glucose (sugar). At the time, I thought all sugars were the same, so that had a significant impact on my dietary choices going forward.

Armed with this initial information, I did the most immediate and impactful thing I could do to help myself heal. I changed my diet, starting with eliminaing those “foods” which were the greatest contributors to cancer and most likely to feed any existing cancer cells in my body. Alcohol, red meat, dairy, processed foods and sugar were off the plate. I had to re-think everything I put in my mouth. Knowing that every bite I took could determine whether I lived or died, I looked deeper into nutrition and it’s contribution to healing the human body.