20 per cent of cancers have been officially linked to infection but the figure could well be much higher as research shows that any of viruses, parasites, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa, collectively all termed pathogens, can weaken the immune system, steal nourishment and make micro-RNA and other toxins which can alter your own healthy cell messenger RNA, potentially leading to a cancer.
All cancer begins in the gut
In this overview, we give you a number of easy links, so you can find more information on the article you want.
2,500 years ago Hippocrates, the father of medicine. stated that "All disease begins in the gut". He was right. It may have taken us 2,500 years to catch up with him, but now we know that even cancer is linked to a variety of pathogens - including viruses, yeasts, bacteria and actual parasites including protozoa. A pathogen is an agent that causes disease.
You have 90 trillion bacteria in your Microbiome and 150 trillion viruses in your Virome. Any pathogen can completely disturb the healthy balance of your microbiome reducing the ability of the good bacteria to make so many of the compounds you need for a healthy life - such as serotonin to keep you happy, or melatonin to help you sleep. Reduced volume and diversity in the microbiome lowers your immune system; so too will any dominant pathogen. All members of the microbiome make chemicals and micro-RNA. At any one time, 38 per cent of the messages in your blood stream come from them, not your own cells.
The 'bad' make toxins and micro-RNA that can 'trump' your own healthy RNA messages. This can result in lost messages or altered messages leading to all manner of illnesses including cancer. Yeasts colonise around the body. They are anaerobes, reducing the oxygen in and around their colonies. Research shows cancer hates oxygen. Lowered oxygen makes cancer cells more aggressive. This yeasts and fungi may make toxins that may cause cancer, or merely set up localised low oxygen conditions for cancer to thrive.
i) A virus as a cancer cause
Officially, 1.9 million cases of cancer worldwide are linked to just four viruses - but the more we learn, the higher this figure will become.
Epstein-Barr (mononucleosis, or EBV) after the teen years seems to be with us all in the Western World, although it lies dormant. It has been linked with Burkitt's Lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma, a few cases of stomach cancer and breast cancer (4). In South East Asia it is linked with nasopharangeal cancer. EBV is a form of Herpes virus.
Human Herpes Virus - 8 (HHV-8), common in cold sores and shingles, like EBV, doesn't go away but can lie dormant in the nervous system. It has been linked to higher levels of breast cancer(8), prostate cancer(9) and Karposi Sarcoma, a rare skin cancer.
Cytomegalovirus - This virus has been shown to be present in GBM and other brain cancers, breast cancer, prostate and colorectal cancer with a presence of 90-100%. Research with brain cancer and breast cancer suggests it may well be causal in both the primary and distant metastases.
Hepatitis strains B and C, are known to cause chronic liver infections and up to half of all liver cancer in some regions of the world. Hepatititis A does not have this effect.
Human Papillomavirus is widely known for it's role in 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases. Early studies showed HPV-16 might also be present in 46.6% of both ductal and lobular breast cancer tissues (11) with similar presence in ovarian cancers. Other studies in 2020 showed that 22.6% of men with prostate cancer have a presence of HPV whereas, in non-prostate cancer males, it is only 8.6% (12). But this begs the question, 'does it cause the cancer or does it merely weaken the immune system response helping the cancer cells beat the system?' There are more than 10 studies linking breast cancer with HPV although increased presence estimates vary between 4% and 86% (10). HPV is also known to cause cancers of the mouth and throat. In these cancers, it appears that HPV can lie dormant in the body until a weakened immune system later in life is less able to keep it under control.
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency virus, has now been linked with cases of lymphoma, lung cancer, cancers of mouth and throat, cervical cancer, anal cancer and Kaposi sarcoma.
Human T-lymphotrophic virus-1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that can cause a number of health problems including lymphoma (lymphocytic leukaemia and NHL). It is more common in the Caribbean, Africa, South America and in US immigrants. Blood donors are tested for it in the USA.
Simian Monkey Virus - 40 (SV40). The embarrassment of the Salk Polio vaccine - over 1 million people were vaccinated in the USA before they found out that the Simian Monkeys used to grow this polio vaccine, had a virus. Higher levels have been found in the bodies of people with brain cancer, bone cancers and lymphoma. There were some links to mesothelioma. And mouse cells turn cancerous in SV40's presence.
ii) 'Bad' bacteria and cancer
Helicobacter pylori is a known cause of stomach cancer. Some oesophageal cancers may also be linked to this bacterium.
Fusobacterium nucleatum, plays a role in periodontal disease. It has been found in higher levels in oral and head and neck cancers (1). Microbiome Otago have concluded that it is in every case of colorectal cancer and it is usually assisted by E. coli. Fusobacterium has also been shown to cause metastasis (2) and prompt chemo-resistance (3) in Colorectal cancer.
Chlamydia trachomatis is a female infection known to cause scar tissue build up in the Fallopian tubes. It can cause cervical cancer. It is a common infection of the reproductive system in women.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium found in soil and water. No antibiotic is known to kill it. Pseudomonas a. has long been associated with lung issues especially cystic fibrosis. Although it was found in 7 out of 9 cases of lung cancer and was linked with higher levels of pneumonia and a two thirds mortality rate, it is more often found in bile duct cancer, bladder cancer and liver cancer (13).
E. coli is in us all, but held in check. Its levels in human s can be encouraged by pet ownership. Research found that food poisoning can cause the loss of commensal bacteria known to keep E. coli subdued and result in more risk of Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer. Research from Weill Cornell showed that when levels reach a trillion in the gut, UTIs are more common in women. E coli has been found in higher levels in Colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, ovarian and womb cancer patients. In women with breast cancer, much higher levels of E coli and Staphylococcus were observed in cancerous tissue (14). In woman, E coli can also cause scarring and other mucosal damage in the Fallopian tubes.
Borellia burgdorferi is responsible for Lyme disease. However it has been shown to be in higher levels in people with brain cancer.
Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite found in the soil, water and cats, has now been linked to an increased risk of brain cancer. It is also found in high levels in people with lung cancer, cervical and endometrial cancers.
Haemophilus is a family (species, genus) of minute rod-shaped bacteria. They were the most frequently found gram-negative pathogens in lung cancer patients and accounted for 38.8% of all the gram-negative bacteria found; they are essentially parasites (15). They are known to cause respiratory illness and secondary symptoms where people have the influenza virus.
Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive commensal (good) bacterium but ii can turn into a pathogen! It is found on the skin and in the upper respiratory tract. When it turns rogue it is found in skin abscesses, boils and impetigo, respiratory infections such as sinusitis and even pneumonia, and in food poisoning. It was the most frequent gram-positive bacterium found in the above lung cancer research (15). There are now antibiotic resistant strains.
iii) Parasites and cancer
Liver fluke has been linked to liver cancer and bile duct cancer, with two strains of liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis) particularly relevant.
Schistosoma haematobium is found in the water in India and South East Asia and is linked to Bladder cancer.
Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan, is highly linked with gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer, liver cancer and oesophageal cancer (5).
Giardia is another protozoan living in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the most common cause of waterborne disease in the USA. According to the New Zealand Ministry of Health it is a major cause of lactose intolerance as it damages the bacteria that can help you process lactose. There is an indication that it might be linked to pancreatic cancer.
Hymenolepis nana, the dwarf tapeworm, is the most common tapeworm in humans and has been linked by the CDC in America to cancer. CDC researchers showed that cancer cells actually present in the tapeworm could seed into the human body and cause tumours to form (6).
iv) Yeasts, fungi and cancer
We know that about 70 per cent of people in the Western World have an excess of yeasts (for example, common Candida albicans) in their bodies. We had expert Gerald Green review this for us, explaining the problem and providing an anti-candida diet:
The problem is that yeast infection is common with a weakened immune system, for example after chemotherapy. In immuno-suppressed cancer patients, one study (7) on the oral cavity of cancer patients showed a huge opportunistic gathering of different strains and families of yeasts:
Candida albicans was the most common species (50.6%), followed by Candida glabrata (24.7%), Pichia kudriavzevii (Candida krusei (9.9%)), Candida tropicalis (4.3%), Candida dubliniensis (3.7%), Kluyveromyces marxianus (Candida kefyr (3.7%)) and Candida parapsilosis (1%). In addition, uncommon yeast species i.e., Saprochaete capitata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clavispora lusitaniae (C. lusitaniae) and Pichia kluyveri (C. eremophila) were recovered from oral lesions
While they might debilitate the patient further, produce toxins and lower oxygen, there is little evidence that yeasts are causal in cancer. The bad news was that the researchers reported that most of the above were unresponsive to drugs.
On this website, we also covered the 'link' between a yeast (Malassezia) and pancreatic cancer. But researchers showed that the yeast itself was not the culprit but a polysaccharide (MBL) carried on its surface. Malassezia is a family of yeasts. One member, M folliculitis, is also known to cause fungal acne.
Go To: Gerald Green - Can Candida Cause Cancer?
There is a former Italian Doctor, Simoncini, who thinks that cancer actually is the fungus Candida - one and the same. He attempted to kill it off by giving patients injections of Sodium Bicarbonate and went to jail for doing this! We don't agree with his theory nor the treatment at all. Cancer cells have a yeast-like biochemistry, that's all.
Go to: Simoncini - cancer is a fungus called candida
v) Overall - cancer and pathogens
As you will see from some of the research articles, there is a growing belief that most cancer has a link to pathogens.
The issue facing readers of this article is 'whether you have cancer or not, eradicate your pathogens!'
Go To: 20 tips on eradicating parasites, pathogens and yeasts
* Oregano oil can kill off yeasts, providing you have a strict no-sugar, no-lactose, no alcohol diet for 12 weeks.
* Pau d'arco and olive leaf extract can be very helpful in suppressing viruses.
* Artemisinin (sweet wormwood can be very useful in killing 'bad' bacteria suh as E coli.
* Para Free Plus is excellent at killing off parasites.
When Pau d'Arco and Wormwood were first used with cancer patients, their success caused people to think of these two herbs as cancer killers. While it has now been shown that they do have some anti-cancer effects, their primary ability is in their anti-bacterial, anti-viral strengths and particularly in their anti-fungal abilities.
Imbalance in the microbiome also causes an increasing list of illnesses in the West - not just more breast and colorectal cancers, but IBS, Crohn's, Lupus, colitis and allergies, skin problems, food intolerances, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, to name but a few!
We kill off the helpful bacteria - the ones we have lived in harmony with for thousands of years - with antibiotics and drugs. We change their living conditions with too much salt, pickles, sugar, alcohol and stress. And we don't feed them their favourite foods - whole grains, nuts and seeds, vegetables, legumes or pulses, fruits, and natural fibre. We travel more without any concerns - China, Mexico, India, Morocco, Africa and we eat the ice, drink the water or get food poisoning. One lady patient in India, when I said I was sure she had a parasite, told me "Everybody in this town has a parasite; we eat the fish from the river." She didn't get diarrhoea or anything so blatant. But years later, she did get Bile Duct cancer.
We now know that a parasite can change and control the microbiome - less good guys, more pathogens. A perfect example was a pair of studies on breast cancer - one said levels of the family Lactobacillus were wiped out in women with breast cancer; the second showed higher levels of E coli. And we know that your microbiome controls your immune system.
Go To: Article - how to Heal your gut
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Other articles in this section
Green and Simoncini are not the first to believe that parasites played a dangerous role in cancer development. Dr Hulda Clark wrote a book The Cure for All Cancers about the role of parasites in cancer. She believed an electro-frequency could kill off parasites in the body.
Go to: Using Zappers to kill parasites?
Perhaps the first person to really show that there was foreign genetic material at the heart of all cancers was Royal Raymond Rife. He believed there was a virus at the heart of every cancer.
Go To: Royal Raymond Rife, a virus at the heart of all cancers
Already, certain pathogens that are bad bacteria normally living in our guts, have been shown capable of surviving for years. Until one day, you have antibiotics for your bad throat or ear infection, or you have a period of extreme stress. The pathogens can no longer be held in check by the good bacteria - Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and oesophageal cancers have links to ordinary bacteria.
Go to: Gut Bacteria and cancer
Finally, we have Pillar 3 of our 4 Pillars of Cancer series. Pillar 3 is Did an infection cause your cancer?
This is why we relaunched our book on the gut - it now tells you about all chronic illnesses from Crohn's to cancer and from dementia to diabetes. It is called Heal your Gut - Heal your Body. It is a must read for anyone whose gut is compromised or fears they have an infection of some sort.
Go to: Book - Heal your Gut - Heal your Body
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References
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32028171/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31903123/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28753429/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997605/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32231739/
6. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/p1104-parasite-tumors.html
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29310582/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15602723/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33019427/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3835088/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15494272/
12. https://infectagentscancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13027-020-00305-8
13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163445311004087
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27342554/
15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0169500294905444