The Colon Club

Hi everyone. My DH still eats salami about 2 times a week. What are your thoughts about this?

The WHO adviced to reduce the quantity of processed meat in the diet for everybody. Each of us is responsible for a little part of our health through diet and life style, but that’s not so much. If you want to help him make a lot of good and healthy food to balance for the salami. I would be rather irritated if my husband was watching what I eat and criticising me and would probably get more stubborn than change in response of that

Atoq

How old is your husband?

My son (a medical doctor) once told me that from point of view of cancer recurrence I could eat anything.
There is no scientific evidence that your diet has any measurable effect on a risk of recurrence.

On the other hand I significantly modified my diet and level of physical activitiy when on a CT scan I saw all these calcified plaques in my coronary arteries.

I'd suggest that he look at the Blue Zone literature.

There is no proof on diet but looking at the behaviors of the people that live the longest might influence those that want to live a long and healthier life.

I'm going to give you my 2 cents on this subject. Over the last 12 years since I was diagnosed, I have read most of those articles and what they actually say is that if people eat a large quantity of these specific foods on an ongoing basis, it 'may' have an impact on their health. The problem is that the headlines don't reflect the 'large quantity' aspect of it and most people don't tend to read the entire articles. For example, the studies with respect to red meat (not processed meat such as hot dogs, lunchmeat, etc.) give the impression that eating ANY red meat is bad for you. That's NOT what the studies say. Studies indicate that prolonged consumption of red meat in excess of 20 ounces a week has been shown to have an effect on the body with respect to cancer. That is certainly NOT the same as saying someone should avoid red meat completely.

So, I just looked up what the WHO has to say on this fact. Yes, (and again, read everything) the WHO has shown a correlation between certain cancers and eating processed meat on a DAILY basis. The studies show eating 50 grams of processed meats (a little less than 2 ounces) each and every day (notice not 1 or 2 a week) appears to raise the risk of a person being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Let's put some of this into perspective. The amount of processed meat being discussed is the equivalent of eating 4 strips of bacon or a hot day PER DAY on a continuous basis. The article went further and stated that a person's risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer is roughly 5% (assuming no other risk or familial factors) and eating this amount of processed meats increases a person's risk now to 6%!

You also have to understand that your husband has been through a lot and, IMO, he may feel that he didn't go through the surgery, chemo, etc. to be told..."STOP...you can't eat that!" He knows what he wants to do and he's an adult. Honestly, he's not engaging in some terrible behavior. I can tell you stories of people who ate all the right foods/avoided all the 'wrong' ones, exercised like a fiend, didn't drink or smoke and yet got a recurrence.

I'm not going to tell you that if your husband doesn't eat salami he won't get a recurrence nor can I predict that he will get a recurrence. I can tell you that cancer is unpredictable and wreaks havoc on all of our lives. My advice....let him be. He's not engaging in 'risky' behavior and he's apparently happy enjoying his salami. It's hard enough after treatment to not worry about the cancer recurring....without having to be super cognizant of everything you eat or do. Now, I'm not a particular salami fan but if I wanted some....nobody is going to stop me. IF my husband had tried to tell me to stop eating something because he had read/heard something, even if he had been well meaning....I would have been SO ticked at him. Let hubby enjoy it.....there are a lot worse things than some salami a few times a week.

But is it a good salami? What sort of mean breath does it create?
Haha - Only joking. But wish to share that to myself it is no big deal and over time we all need to figure out a healthy diet.
It is great that you care. As a husband I can confirm we respond really well to more loving and less nursing.
May God bless you.

There are now no nitrates salami, it should be less harmful.

My parents were born in Austria; my wife is German, so there is a lot of salami and other traditionally unhealthy foods eaten by my family. I, on the other hand, always strove to be healthy...a largely plant based organic diet, avoided processed meat, lots of exercise, never overweight, minimal alcohol use...yet I am the one who ended up with cancer.. not my overweight, sedentary, beer drinking, salami eating family members. So I would say a small serving of salami now and then (in the setting of a healthy diet and lifestyle overall) is fine.

hawkowl wrote:My parents were born in Austria; my wife is German, so there is a lot of salami and other traditionally unhealthy foods eaten by my family. I, on the other hand, always strove to be healthy...a largely plant based organic diet, avoided processed meat, lots of exercise, never overweight, minimal alcohol use...yet I am the one who ended up with cancer.. not my overweight, sedentary, beer drinking, salami eating family members. So I would say a small serving of salami now and then (in the setting of a healthy diet and lifestyle overall) is fine.

I believe that my cancer developed from having the flu for several months and working through it. The immune system was just not able to do its job.

So exercise, nutrition are good things. But getting enough rest, especially when run down, is important too.

"There is no scientific evidence that your diet has any measurable effect on a risk of recurrence."

Then I don't understand why the NCAN guidelines recommend a plant based diet. I honestly think that statements such as "There is no scientific evidence that your diet has any measurable effect on a risk of recurrence" are a bunch of BS.

Maybe there are no specific studies on reoccurrence, but is quite likely that reoccurrence follows the same rules as primary cancer, and then it is reccommended to avoid meat and especially processed meat. Maybe once you have had cancer your odds are more dependent on other factors, but still it is worth to eat a plant based diet also because of sustainability.

Claudia

mpbser wrote:Then I don't understand why the NCAN guidelines recommend a plant based diet.

Could you please share this link with us.

Maybe there are no specific studies on reoccurrence, but is quite likely that reoccurrence follows the same rules as primary cancer, and then it is reccommended to avoid meat and especially processed meat. Maybe once you have had cancer your odds are more dependent on other factors, but still it is worth to eat a plant based diet also because of sustainability.

Please share the links that you have from reputable sources that say NO red/processed meat for even primary cancer. EVERY study that I have seen with respect to this subject says to limit red meat to approx. 18 - 20 ounces/week. I think people take this whole AVOID red meat to an extreme. It's just like everything else....MODERATION.

In addition, I don't think one can also state that there is a correlation between what may be recommended for primary cancer and that the same applies with respect towards recurrence. One could argue that, in my case, my diet was a potential factor in my diagnosis. I have no family history of colorectal cancer so rule that one out. I don't drink, don't smoke but am not physically active and I regularly ate red meat 3-4 times a week. Honestly, haven't changed my diet with respect to meat since diagnosis and I'm 12 years out from that date and 11+ years out from my last treatment. I still don't drink or smoke and am not particularly physically active. Has my diet changed? Absolutely not. What HAS changed is that I am more cognizant of the fact that MY body tends to be a particularly welcoming host for colorectal polyps and probably always will be. I don't particularly like a 'plant based diet' and refuse to follow it. Sure, I eat my veggies and fruit but certainly not as much as most diets recommend and no way am I near even a partial plant based diet.

We need to be careful about making comments that we can make a huge difference in recurrence rates if we only follow a plant based diet and/or get more exercise. Sure, eating a better diet and eating unhealthy things (high fat meats, processed meats) in moderation and getting more exercise are all good things but to imply that avoiding red and/or processed meat and being more physically active will somehow stop a person from a recurrence is, IMO, irresponsible and unfair. Each person has to decide for him/herself what he/she is willing to do/not do with respect to lifestyle changes.....particularly after having gone through cancer. What's the right choice for one person isn't necessarily the right choice for another.

There is quite a bit of evidence that regular exercise post cancer diagnosis can help prevent a reoccurrence.

http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/201 ... ecurrence/

My onc, Dr. B, is a huge advocate of exercise, especially walking.

Best Wishes,
peanut

peanut_8 wrote:There is quite a bit of evidence that regular exercise post cancer diagnosis can help prevent a reoccurrence.

http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/201 ... ecurrence/

My onc, Dr. B, is a huge advocate of exercise, especially walking.

Best Wishes,
peanut

I worked out a lot before cancer so the risk is always there, even if reduced. I should talk to the DFCI doctor and see what he thinks about high levels of exercise.