CANCER AND HIV

• People with advancing age are more often afflicted with cancer compared to the pediatric group
• A lifestyle that includes little or no exercise is an etiologic factor in cancers
• 35% of all cancer deaths may be linked to diet
• Unhealthy diet comprising mainly of red meats, high fat foods, excess alcohol, and salt-cured foods are associated with increased cancer risk
• Susceptibility to cancer escalates when the diet is poor in protective foods such as fruits and vegetables high in phytochemicals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber
• Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells forming a mass called a tumor
• A malignant tumor takes away food and blood needed by normal cells and interrupts their roles to maintain life processes
• Cancer process involves initiation, promotion, and progression stages
• Initiation Stage:

  • Carcinogen introduced into the body, such as virus, chemicals, or unknown agent, becomes activated within the cells and binds to the DNA
• Promotion Stage:

  • Cell attempts to eliminate the carcinogen from the DNA by cutting out the damaged portion, allowing the cell to function as before
  • Transformed cells may remain dormant until activated by a promoting agent
• Formation or Progression:

  • Cancer cells continue to grow in an uncontrolled fashion, malignant tumors develop
• Factors contributing to the development of cancer include carcinogens, age, genetic make-up, immune system, body weight, diet, physical activity, environment, and viruses
• Metabolic profile observed in cancer cells includes increased consumption of glucose and glutamine, increased glycolysis, changes in the use of metabolic enzyme isoforms, and increased secretion of lactate
• Cancer cell metabolism is characterized by enhanced uptake and utilization of glucose, known as the Warburg effect
• Sites, Risk Factors & Warning Signs of Different Cancers:

  • Lung Cancer:
  • Causes: Cigarette smoking, exposure to radiation, asbestos, ionizing radiation, secondary smoke, air pollution, low fruit and vegetable diet with high meat consumption
  • Symptoms: Persistent cough, bloody sputum, chest pain, recurring pneumonia, bronchitis
• Medical Treatment Modalities:

  • Gene Therapy: Introduces new genes into cancerous cells or surrounding tissue to cause cell death or slow cancer growth
  • Stem cell transplants: Restore blood-forming stem cells destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy or radiation
  • Bone marrow transplant: Replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow by transplanting blood stem cells
  • Immunotherapy: Helps the immune system fight cancer
• Dietary Implications of Cancer:

  • Cancer and cancer treatments may affect taste, smell, appetite, and the ability to eat enough food or absorb nutrients, leading to malnutrition
  • Preventive factors for different cancers include lifestyle changes and specific dietary recommendations
• Breast (Premenopausal):

  • Lactation, lessen body fatness/obesity
• Breast (Postmenopausal):

  • Lactation, increase physical activity
• Colon and Rectum:

  • Increase physical activity, high fiber diet, beta carotene, and vitamin C rich foods
• Lung:

  • Eat fruits and foods with carotenoids
• Mouth, pharynx, larynx:

  • Eat non-starchy vegetables and fruits, foods with carotenoids
• Pancreas:

  • Eat foods containing folate
• Prostate:

  • Eat foods with selenium and lycopene
• Stomach:

  • Eat non-starchy vegetables
• Uterus (endometrium):

  • Increase physical activity
• Benign tumor:

  • Confined to the area of origin, slow growth, can be removed and does not spread
• Malignant tumor:

  • Grows rapidly or slowly, invades and damages nearby tissues and organs, can spread
• Malignant tumors can grow rapidly or slowly, invade nearby tissues and organs, and metastasize by entering the blood stream and lymphatic system
• Intermediate types of tumors are usually invasive but do not progress to a metastatic state
• Cancers are classified according to the tissues they originate from, such as carcinoma from skin cells and glandular organs, sarcomas from muscles and connective tissues, gliomas from brain tissues, and lymphomas from lymphatic system tissues
• Symptoms and diagnosis of cancer can include changes in bowel or bladder habits, non-healing sores, unexplained anemia, lumps in the breast or elsewhere, indigestion, changes in moles or warts, persistent cough or hoarseness, and sudden weight loss
• Goals of nutritional care for cancer patients include improving or maintaining optimal nutrition status and body weight, maintaining strength during therapy, preventing or reversing immunosuppression, and ensuring survival and functional status
• Nutrition interventions for cancer patients include eating 5-6 small meals instead of 3 larger meals, providing a relaxed atmosphere for meals, consuming high-calorie and high-protein foods, responding to hunger cues, keeping snacks handy, increasing fluid intake, and adjusting fiber intake
• Nutrition interventions for specific symptoms in cancer patients:

  • Anorexia: small frequent feedings, avoiding simple carbohydrates, and increasing protein and fats
  • Constipation: restricting fluid intake before meals, consuming high-calorie dense foods, and avoiding low-density foods
  • Diarrhea: small frequent high-caloric density meals, limiting liquid meals, and avoiding high-fat or greasy foods
• Cancer prevention strategies include maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, with a greater intake of fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of various cancers
• Cancer control program in the Philippines includes primary prevention strategies like anti-smoking campaigns for lung cancer and secondary prevention strategies like self-breast exams for breast cancer
• HIV/AIDS exam.

  <|>Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the terminal stage of an infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which primarily attacks white blood cells
• HIV can spread through unsafe sex, anal sex, mother-to-child transmission, blood transfusions, and the use of infected needles
• Diagnosis of HIV involves rapid tests that can give results in 15 minutes, and measurement of viral load in the blood to monitor disease progression