BY HAILEY KOLTKO The cure to cancer does not lie in one simple answer. The same goes for the cause of cancer. Aside from necessary medications and professional help, cancer survivors can do more things to give their bodies a better chance of making it through treatments and side effects, and also fighting off many types of cancer. One way is to control inflammation – one of the causes of cancer. What is inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s way of healing itself. It often involves swelling of blood to a particular body site. This is the body's natural way to heal wounds and prevent infections. It is also a good indication to watch an area. When your body cannot remove the infection or heal a wound, the body keeps inflaming the area. The natural, helpful inflammation turns into chronic inflammation, which can lead to arthritis, hay fever, and, yes, cancer. How does inflammation affect my cancer? Inflammation is particularly advantageous to tumor growth. Tumors thrive on inflammation. With the increase in blood, tumors get all the nutrients and oxygen that it needs to grow. Chronic inflammation also take a toll on the immune system, knocking back other ways to prevent the cancerous cells from growing. All of this compounds to providing an excellent environment for cancer to grow and develop. So what? With this knowledge, you can do simple, easy steps to reduce chronic inflammation. These include eating the right foods (like tomatoes, avocados, and fruits and vegetables), exercising, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress (try yoga!). For more resources: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248423.php#what_is_the_difference_between_chronic_inflammation_and_acute_inflammation https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/02/01/feeling-the-heat-the-link-between-inflammation-and-cancer/ https://www.jeanlamantia.comhttps://storage.googleapis.com/crowdnews-media-library/2015/02/Immune-Boosting-Quick-Start-Guide.pdf