This book review is meant to be informational only, not for self-diagnosis or treatment. Please do not use it in lieu of being under the care of a trained and licensed medical professional. Thanks, Kathleen

Anticancer: A New Way of Life

By David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, http://www.anticancerbook.com

Kathleen Kenneally, LAc, LMP, LMHC
Copyright August 2010

David Servan-Schreiber's book Anticancer: A New Way of Life is about a diet and lifestyle that promotes wellness over cancer. David speaks from personal experience having been diagnosed with cancer. A first person point-of-view is always powerful however David also speaks about wellness/cancer as a professional, a trained medical doctor and a medical researcher.

Dr. Servan Schreiber's brain cancer was diagnosed in his early thirties. He received traditional surgery and chemotherapy but did not make lifestyle changes, or what he calls the "terrain" changes. David ate such foods as burritos and soda for lunch because his doctor, kind, well-meaning and well-educated in pharmaceuticals, chemotherapy and surgery, did not know about how diet and lifestyle can make a difference in recovery and longevity for cancer patients.

David's recurring cancer motivated him to research and make diet and lifestyle changes not adequately addressed in medical school or by his doctor. Since pharmaceutical companies play a significant role in educating doctors, many physicians are woefully uneducated about the helpful role that food and nutrition can play in creating health and wellbeing. Pharmaceutical companies remain uninterested in "nutriceuticals" - plants and nutritional supplements - possibly because one cannot patent such health-giving items as green tea or raspberries. This is in spite of the fact that double-blind scientific studies extol the life-giving properties of just such substances. David is now an advocate for diet and lifestyle changes within the medical industry. His book is very readable and the main points are made repeatedly to reinforce the basics.

If time is a concern, skip to the colored insert section in the middle to locate clear and informative graphics and simple language concerning "Anticancer Action". Here, you will find action steps that you can take that are independent of any theoretical understanding. For example, you can put broccoli on your menu without understanding the intricacies of how its green compounds benefit the human immune system. The most relevant part of the book for any person who wants to review their lifestyle and rate it for overall resilience against cancer is the colored insert. David has prepared several useful charts with details of dietary recommendations based on research. So, if you are specifically concerned about prostrate cancer or lung cancer, you will find foods that research asserts inhibit those cancers.

I hesitate to make such a sweeping statement, yet I think the evidence is clear that what many of us have taken as common sense for years is now being proven. Specifically, that reducing exposures to industrial chemicals like pesticides and parabens is important. A balanced vegetable-and-fruit-filled diet with less red meats, clean water, adequate physical activity like walking 30 minutes per day, centering meditation practices, and harmonious emotions make for a healthy lifestyle and reduce the odds of developing cancer.

Anticancer is powerful because David has synthesized and, more importantly, simplified the medical research about cancer for the lay person. As a medical provider myself, I appreciate his clarity and found enough of the inflammatory mechanisms and cancer growth mechanisms present as to be an interesting read. I was not overwhelmed by detail and technical jargon but if you are, go to the colored insert section in the middle of the book. There are lovely graphics that supplement the text and this is a welcome aid to understanding. David provides historical information about how cancer became epidemic in the United States after World War II and how politics prevented warnings about the harmful effects of dairy and red meat from reaching the public eye despite clear evidence about their effects.

I must mention one caveat in my otherwise glowing recommendation of Anticancer. I disagree with David's recommendation of Canola oil as a healthy oil. Canola oil is a relatively recently introduced genetically modified food introduced in the last 40 years, as compared to olive oil that we have been eating for thousands of years. It contains a low level of the harmful compound erucic acid. Making the healthiest choice possible clearly benefits you. If you can just as easily choose a food like olive or coconut oil that has long been used as a food when you are shopping, why not?

The above information about Canola Oil comes from a recent Seattle-area class I attended called "To Quiet Inflammation" with herbalist Kathy Abascal, www.toquietinflammation.com. Inflammation is one of the primary causes of all disease in the body. My clients have had wonderful results from Kathy's approach. Results like less joint pain, less medication required for chronic illnesses, weight loss with its attendant lowered cancer risk, and more energy have been reported. I look forward to reviewing Kathy's upcoming book, likely to be published next year.