About
1 – Cancer: A Real Scourge for All
1.1 – The Prevalence of Cancer
Cancer is an ever-present threat. In France, nearly 4% of the population is diagnosed with cancer each year. While this figure may seem insignificant, it means that over the course of a lifetime, we have about a one in two chance of developing this disease. Moreover, France is not even the worst-off country, because the USA, Canada and Australia have even higher rates.
1.2 – Treatments
Cancer treatments, while effective in destroying cancer cells, often come with severe side effects. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, for example, not only target cancer cells, but also damage healthy cells in the body. This can lead to side effects such as extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and more serious problems such as organ damage. These treatments also weaken the immune system, making patients more susceptible to infections. In addition, surgery can cause scarring and functional changes in the affected body parts. Therefore, it is vital to accompany these treatments with supportive measures, such as proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits, to help the body recover and resist the harmful effects of the treatments.
1.3 – Cancer Recurrence
More than 20% of patients have a recurrence within five years of completing their treatments. Many times they are faced with follow-up examinations to find out whether the cancer has returned or not and these deadlines are experienced as real swords of Damocles.
I know this ordeal well because I myself am confronted with it on a recurring basis, and in the next part I will briefly talk to you about it.
2 – Patients’ Questions: Why Me?
One of the first questions people ask themselves after a cancer diagnosis is, “Why me? What did I do wrong to deserve this? Did I not take good care of myself?”
2.1 – My Story
In 2021, while I was finishing my MIAGE Master's degree, I began to suffer from serious health problems: difficulty falling asleep, blocked nose, and intense facial neuralgia. After several months of suffering and fruitless research to diagnose the cause, a consultation with an ENT revealed the presence of a tumor, initially considered benign. Unfortunately, after an operation to remove it, it was confirmed that it was a very rare cancer. The following months were a long series of grueling treatments and endless bad news. During this difficult period, I often wondered why this was happening to me and if I could have done something to prevent it.
2.2 – The Discovery of Risk Factors
Looking for answers to this question like many patients, I discovered the main risk factors for cancer and found that none of them concerned me:
● I have only smoked three or four puffs of a cigarette in my entire life.
● I have never drunk even a drop of alcohol in my life to my knowledge.
● I have never been overweight.
● I have always done approximately one hour of sport per day at intense levels.
● I have always had a balanced diet, or so I thought.
So I thought I had to go further to try to understand.
2.3 – Genetic Causes
This is how I became interested in the genetic causes of cancer, because genetic mutations play a crucial role, some are inherited from our parents, others acquired during our life due to environmental factors or risky behaviors. This explains why people who have not had risk factors find themselves confronted with the disease, but the question now is “If it is in our genes, can we do something about it?”
3 – Can we do something?
During my difficult treatment journey, I felt helpless in my lack of control over my situation and my health. It was this feeling that made me ask myself a fundamental question that many patients also ask themselves: “Can I do something myself to fight this disease?”
3.1 – The Inspiration of David Servan-Schreiber
But I found the answer to my question in a book my mother gave me, "Anticancer" by David Servan-Schreiber.
David, a neuropsychiatrist diagnosed with brain cancer in 1992, was expected to live only a few months according to medical prognosis. Refusing to give up, he undertook extensive research into ways to prevent, combat and limit the progression and spread of cancer. He discovered that lifestyle changes, such as an anti-cancer diet, stress management and exercise, can significantly improve survival by acting on the body's protective mechanisms.
David went beyond the basics often presented and really showed through studies the effectiveness of eating habits on the body's mechanisms involved in the development of cancer. Thanks to these adjustments, he survived 15 years longer than expected, during which time he contributed enormously to the fight against cancer and was able to see his daughter grow up. His story and his discoveries gave me answers and inspired me to adopt healthier lifestyle habits, giving me the feeling of regaining control of my health and having a real impact in my fight against cancer.
It was this book, but also the discussions I had with other patients at the Toulouse Oncopole during my treatments or the league against cancer that gave me the idea of helping other patients in this fight and of using my computer engineering skills to facilitate the process I had gone through.
3.2 – How does cancer work?
Cancer cells in our body go through three major phases:
1. Occurrence of DNA Malformations: Cancer cells emerge when malformations occur in DNA, resulting in abnormal cells that lose their ability to die naturally.
2. Uncontrolled Multiplication: Once they appear, cancer cells multiply in an uncontrolled manner and divert the body's natural mechanisms to promote their own proliferation.
3. Tumor Formation and Metastasis: Eventually, these cancer cells form tumors, which are clusters of cancer cells, or metastases, where cells spread from one part of the body to another.
We all have cancer cells, but the human body has various protective mechanisms to control them. These mechanisms can be compared to funnels that filter cancer cells, and it is only when these filters fail that tumors appear. These mechanisms can be grouped into three main roles:
● DNA Protection: Genetic abnormalities can be triggered by a variety of factors, including poor diet. A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals protects DNA from cancerous mutations. For example, foods like berries, green vegetables, and nuts contain powerful antioxidants that help repair cellular damage.
● Slow Cancer Cell Multiplication: Specific nutrients and dietary behaviors can either slow or accelerate cancer cell multiplication. Some foods have antiproliferative properties that slow the multiplication of cancer cells. Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cauliflower), turmeric, and fatty fish rich in omega-3 are known to have inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth.
● Prevent Tumor Formation and Spread: Proper nutrition can strengthen the immune system, preventing tumor formation and the spread of cancer cells. Dietary fiber, phytoestrogens found in soy, and polyphenols in green tea contribute to this protection.
3.3 – Nutrition is the heart of our lifestyle habits
Although in my case, the classic risk factors were not the direct cause of my cancer, they can be for others and what I have understood is that nutrition is central in the management of risk factors and plays a crucial role in cancer prevention. Here is how:
● Addictions: Alcohol is a major cause of cancer. According to a study published in The Lancet Oncology, alcohol consumption is responsible for approximately 5.5% of new cancer cases each year worldwide. Meanwhile, sugar, although often overlooked, is also addictive and contributes to obesity, a significant risk factor for several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer.
● Lack of Sleep: Poor nutrition and irregular dinner times can disrupt sleep. A study in Nutrients shows that eating meals high in fat and sugar late at night is linked to sleep disturbances and insomnia. Quality sleep is crucial because it helps regulate stress hormones and maintain a healthy metabolism.
● Stress: Chronic stress has a direct impact on our cells, increasing oxidative damage and inflammation, two factors that can lead to the development of cancer. In addition, stress often pushes us to fall back into addictions such as sugar, cigarette or alcohol consumption, thus increasing the risk of cancer.
● Physical Activity: Regular physical activity is essential for health, but it must be accompanied by good nutrition. A balanced diet provides the nutrients needed to support energy, recovery, and performance. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who combine physical activity with a healthy diet have a reduced risk of cancer compared to those who follow only one of these practices.
● Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for cancer prevention. Both undernutrition and being overweight are risk factors. Being overweight, in particular, is associated with an increased risk of developing 13 different types of cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). On the other hand, undernutrition weakens the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to diseases, including cancer.
Thus, nutrition is not only a key element in managing cancer mechanisms, but it also has a profound impact on our behaviors and general lifestyle, influencing factors such as addictions, sleep, stress, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.
4 – The Solution: CECYLIA
Previously I mentioned that David Servan-Shreiber's approach inspired me by making me want to contribute to the fight against cancer and it is from this desire that the idea of CECYLIA was born, a nutrition application for the prevention of cancer and to help in the fight against recurrence while improving the overall health of everyone.
Application Presentation
CECYLIA is an application that acts as a personal coach, encouraging the adoption of daily preventive behaviors and helping users give up addictions and bad habits that increase the risk of cancer.
Nutrition is the heart of our application which allows users to create an ideal food plan to fill their nutritional deficiencies and boost the protective mechanisms of cancer.
We also want to act as a filter, which will allow users to have concrete information proven by research, to prevent them from falling into the traps of magic powder sellers who recommend miracle remedies or diets.
Finally, we want to advance research by analyzing the impact of different foods and actions on cancer recurrence rates, which will ultimately allow us to have a personalized algorithm for each cancer and promote their remission.
The team
Lamine BOUTALEB
CEO & Cancer Survivor
Computer engineer
Nutrition and sports coach
Jaouhar MOURALI
General and Scientific Director
Doctor of Oncology
Software developer