Preface

The International Cancer Prevention Institute ("ICPI"), also referred to as "the Institute" throughout this book, has the mission of contributing to the efforts to rid the world of cancer. We believe that the first step to eliminating this deadly disease is preventing it from occurring in the first place. What we mean by "preventing cancer" throughout the book is that the odds of developing cancer are reduced significantly. Most people are not aware that it can pretty much be prevented today, which is the reason we decided to write this book.

Throughout the history of the study of cancer, its causes and its remedies, many of the findings have common threads running through them. Research results continue to reinforce each other. Some the latest results support findings from research that was done decades ago. Although the most important breakthroughs have taken place in the last twenty years, most people and even much of the scientific and medical community have not even noticed. It is these breakthroughs that form the foundation of this book.

There is a world of knowledge out there about things one can do or eat to help prevent cancer, but most people don't know about them. Why don't they know about them? Because cancer is a negative, scary topic. Most of us probably want to be as far away from it as possible. Few people will take the time to read and learn about it because deep down inside we don't want to get it and therefore unconsciously have no need for information about it. Most of us will not worry about cancer until we get it or someone we love does. However, if you take the time to understand it and make certain lifestyle and dietary changes, you probably won't ever have to worry about it.

This book is not about curing cancer, because we know that today there is no cure. It is not about treating it either, although this topic is briefly covered in Chapter 3. This book is about the steps that everyone can take, starting today, to reduce their chances of getting cancer in general and certain cancers in particular. There is no magic bullet or foolproof way of completely eliminating the risk, but there are many things you can do, and in particular many natural foods and supplements that you can take, in order to reduce the risk significantly or almost eliminate it. This book is more about the things that one should do, rather than the things that one should avoid, in order to prevent the disease.

Some people that follow all the recommendations of this book might still get cancer at some point in their life because this is not an exact science. We are really only scratching the surface of this complex disease, but the research results show that you can in fact reduce your risk significantly (which is what we call prevention). In addition to the external factors affecting or preventing cancer, the genetic make-up of a person has some influence on his or her likelihood of developing the disease. This means that some people today are destined to get cancer. Notwithstanding, research results suggest that many people that were meant to get it can avoid it if they follow our recommendations. In addition, many that might have a greater-than-average chance of developing it because of environmental factors will be able to beat it to the punch by taking proactive steps today, namely eating the right foods and having proper habits.

Cancer research continues to push forward, and research results are published on a daily basis. However, most of the results are published in medical journals and other periodicals that are not readily accessible to the general population. If you are lucky, you get to read about some new discovery in a small article in a magazine or on the Internet. This book is meant to be a manual to help guide you to a cancer-free life. It is a short-yet-complete account of the results of research studies that have practical applications for the prevention of cancer, and it includes easy-to-implement recommendations.

We wrote the book for the average person that has no medical training. We use layman terms as much as we can and make analogies to things that most people should understand. Besides prevention, we cover the basics of some topics related to cancer to give the reader a general overview of the disease. We purposefully skip some topics that a technical, thorough cancer book would include. In order to make it as short as possible and easier to understand, we neglect some burdensome details that some experts might consider important.

We also simplify many of the cancer processes without explaining every step so as not to confuse or bore you with the details. You do not need every detail in order to learn how to protect yourself. We feel that once people understand the basics, they will no longer be afraid and will be willing to face it straight on.

Don't wait until you or someone you love gets cancer. Act now. Take a few easy steps today to avoid this deadly disease. Spread the word among your friends and loved ones. If self-preservation is an instinct that you possess, you should pay close attention to the recommendations in this book and follow as many of them as you can.

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