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A parasite depends on its host for survival. Without a host, a parasite cannot live, grow and multiply. For this reason, it rarely kills the host, but it can spread diseases, and some of these can be fatal. Parasites unlike predators, are usually much smaller than their host and they reproduce at a faster rate. |
Many different parasites can affect humans, and they can pass on diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness, etc. However, there is increasing evidence that parasites along with bacteria and viruses can be linked to the development of many different types of cancers.
There are billions of parasitic organisms living within us or around us every second of the day. Many of these go undetected because they may not cause noticeable symptoms, or we have not developed the technology to detect or identify them. What this means is that a lot of diseases such as cancers, tumours, neurodegenerative disorders may be due to these organisms that we are yet to discover.
When it comes to cancers caused by parasitic organisms living within us, this is what we know so far: Parasitic worms have been linked to cancers in the United States. Scientists at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention discovered that cancer cells originating in a common human tapeworm, can cause cancer-like tumours when this worm takes root in people with weakened immune systems. However, this is not unique to tapeworms, other parasitic worms, such as flat worms can also raise the risk of developing some kinds of cancer. These organisms are not usually found in the developed countries, but they can be a concern for people who live in or travel to the developing world.
A type of flat worm known as Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis,
otherwise known as liver flukes, live within the liver and bile duct; they have been
linked to increased risk of developing cancer of the bile ducts. The bile ducts are
tubes that connect the liver to the intestines. These infections come from eating
raw or under-cooked freshwater fish. They occur mostly in East Asia and are rare
in other parts of the world. Another type of flat worm known as Schistosoma haematobium, found in the freshwater of some countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has been linked to bladder cancer. The flat worm lives inside freshwater snails, before they are released into the water. The young worms bore through the skin of people swimming or walking through these waters. Infected humans develop an illness called schistosomiasis. However, this flat worm has now been linked to bladder cancer.
Possible links of other types of parasitic worms to other types of cancer are now being studied. Viruses that have been linked to cancers, are very small organisms that can only be seen through high power microscopes. They can cause a lot of common illnesses such as the common cold, flu, or urinary tract infection, etc. They are made up of a small number of genes in the form of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coating. A virus must enter a living cell and “hijack” the cell’s machinery in order to reproduce and make more viruses. Some viruses do this by inserting their own DNA (or RNA) into that of the host cell. When the DNA or RNA affects the host cell’s genes, it can push the cell toward becoming cancerous. Examples of viruses linked to cancers are:
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Human papillomaviruses (HPVs)
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Linked to cervical cancer, cancers of the penis, anus, vagina, vulva, mouth and throat. The HPVs are a group of more than 150 related viruses. They are called papillomaviruses because some of them cause papilloma, which are more commonly known as warts. Some types of HPV only grow on the skin, while others grow in mucous membranes such as the mouth, throat, or vagina. All types of HPV are spread by contact (touch). More than 40 types of HPV can be passed on through sexual contact. Most sexually active people are infected with one or more of these HPV types at some point in their lives. At least a dozen of these types are known to cause cancer.While HPV infections are very common, cancer caused by HPV is not. Most people infected with HPV will not develop a cancer related to the infection. |
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Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) |
Is a type of herpes virus that is now linked with naso-pharyngeal cancer, Hodgkin lymphomas, stomach cancer and some |
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Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) |
These two viruses are now being linked to Liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. HBV and HCV cause viral hepatitis, a type of liver infection. Both can cause the long-term (chronic) infections that increase a person’s chance of liver cancer. In the developed nations, less than half of liver cancers are linked to HBV or HCV infection. But this number is much higher in developing countries, where both viral hepatitis and liver cancer are much more common. HBV and HCV are spread from person to person in much the same way as HIV, such as through sharing needles, unprotected sex, or childbirth. They can also be passed on through blood transfusions, but this is rare in developed nations because donated blood is tested for these viruses. Once an infection is found, treatment and preventive measures can be used to slow liver damage and reduce cancer risk. Both hepatitis B and C infections can be treated with drugs. Treating chronic hepatitis C infection with a combination of drugs for at least a few months, can get rid of HCV in many people. Several drugs can also be used to help treat chronic hepatitis B. Although they don’t cure the disease, they can lower the risk of liver damage and might lower the risk of liver cancer as well. There is a vaccine to prevent HBV infection, but none for HCV. |
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Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) |
The virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), doesn’t appear to cause cancers directly. But HIV infection increases a person’s risk of getting several types of cancer, especially some linked to other viruses. HIV infection has been linked to a higher risk of developing Kaposi sarcoma and cervical cancer. It’s also linked to certain kinds of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, especially central nervous system lymphoma. Other types of cancer that may be more likely to develop in people with HIV infection include: Anal cancer Hodgkin disease Lung cancer Cancers of the mouth and throat Some types of skin cancer Liver cancer |
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Human Herpes Virus 8 (HHV-8) |
Also known as Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpes virus (KSHV), has been found in nearly all tumours in patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS). KS is a rare, slow-growing cancer that often appears as reddish- purple or blue-brown tumours just underneath the skin. In KS, the cells that line blood and lymph vessels are infected with HHV-8. The infection makes them divide too much and live longer than they should. These types of changes may eventually turn them into cancer cells. HHV-8 infection has also been linked to some rare blood cancers, such as primary effusion lymphoma and Castleman disease, an overgrowth of lymph nodes that acts very much like and often develops into cancer of the lymph nodes (lymphoma). |
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Human T – Lymphotropic Virus – 1(HTLV-1) |
Has been linked with a type of lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). This cancer is found mostly in southern Japan, the Caribbean, central Africa, parts of South America, and in some immigrant groups in the south-eastern United States. HTLV-1 belongs to a class of viruses called retroviruses. These viruses use RNA (instead of DNA) for their genetic code. To reproduce, they must go through an extra step to change their RNA genes into DNA. Some of the new DNA genes can then become part of the chromosomes of the human cell infected by the virus. This can change how the cell grows and divides, which can sometimes lead to cancer. In humans, HTLV-1 is spread in the same ways as HIV, such as unprotected sex with an HTLV-1 infected partner or injection with a needle after an infected person has used it. Mothers infected with HTLV-1 can also pass on the virus to their children, although this risk can be reduced if the mother doesn’t breastfeed. Once infected with HTLV-1, a person’s chance of developing ATL can be up to about 5%. Once infected the disease usually takes a very long time to develop symptoms. Usually a carrier is symptom free for 20 or more years. |
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Merkel Cell Polyomavirus (MCV) |
Discovered in 2008 in samples from a rare and aggressive type of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. Most people are infected with MCV at some point (often in childhood), and it usually causes no symptoms. But in a few people with this infection, the virus can affect their DNA and change it, which can lead to Merkel cell cancer. Nearly all Merkel cell cancers are now thought to be linked to this infection. It is not yet clear how people become infected with this virus, but it has been found in several places in the body, including the skin and saliva. |
Our growing knowledge of the role of viruses as a cause of cancer has led to the development of vaccines to help prevent certain human cancers, such as the HPV vaccine. But these vaccines can only protect against infections if they are given to the person prior to exposure to the cancer-promoting virus. Bacteria linked to cancers are very small living things that are made up of only one cell. Most types of bacteria aren’t harmful, but some can infect people and cause diseases. A few have even been linked with cancers of the stomach and cervix.
Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is a common bacterium associated with stomach ulcers. However, long term infection of the stomach with Helicobacter pylori can change, inflame and damage the inner layer of the stomach. Some of these changes could lead to cancer over time, especially cancer in the lower part of the stomach. H pylori infection is also linked with some types of lymphoma of the stomach. About 2 in 3 adults worldwide are infected with H pylori. The rate of infection is higher in developing countries and in older age groups. It’s likely spread in a couple of ways. One is the faecal-oral route, such as through contaminated food or water sources. It can also be transmitted from one person to another, mouth to mouth. Other compounds known as nitrites commonly found in cured meats, some drinking water, dried fruits and certain vegetables, can be converted by certain bacteria, such as H pylori, into compounds that have been found to cause stomach cancer in lab animals. H pylori can be treated with antibiotics and by boosting the immune system naturally through diet, lifestyle and herbs.
Chlamydia trachomatis is a very common kind of bacteria that can infect the female reproductive system as well as other parts of the body in both men and women but is now linked with cervical cancer. It is spread through sex. Although infection of the reproductive organs may cause symptoms in some people, most women have no symptoms. This means that women with chlamydia usually don’t know they’re infected unless samples are taken during a pelvic exam and tested for chlamydia. It’s a common infection in younger women who are sexually active and can remain for years unless it’s detected and treated. Studies suggest that chlamydia itself does not directly cause cancer, but it might work with HPV in a way that promotes cancer growth. In women, long-term chlamydia infection is known to cause pelvic inflammation that can lead to infertility, mainly by building up scar tissue in the Fallopian tubes. Like other infections that inflame or cause ulcers in the genital area, chlamydia can also increase the risk of becoming infected with HIV during exposure to an HIV-infected sexual partner.
Many scientists believe that a healthy immune system is very important in attacking and destroying newly formed cancer cells. A weak immune system might let new cancer cells survive long enough to grow into a serious, life-threatening tumour. Here a list of our commonly used natural remedies to help fight cancers:
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Pawpaw parasitic worm expeller |
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Black tea and garlic virus blaster |
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Turmeric Hepatitis eradicator |
Eat around 50g of crushed turmeric daily, added to food and drinks for 5 to 6 months. Or you can take 3 Blood-D capsules twice daily for 3 months. |
For those who have already developed cancers, we suggest a combination of all the above. However, we have herbs such as Anti-C that can help to boost the immune system to get rid of abnormal cells.