(NaturalNews) Though it has the highest mortality rate of all forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer is largely preventable and treatable through simple dietary and lifestyle changes, says Dr. Robert Wascher, MD, a surgical oncologist from California. In a recent interview withWascher explained how the simple act of consuming turmeric, a natural spice popular in Asian and Indian food, may be enough to prevent and cure the type of pancreatic cancer that afflicted former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, as well as other forms."It's a dismal, deadly disease," Wascher is quoted as saying to. Wascher is author of the book. "But like other forms of cancer, up to 65 percent can be prevented by relatively modest diet and lifestyle changes."Pancreatic cancer is very slow to develop, often taking 20 years to grow into a detectable condition. Once it is identified, the conventional cancer industry typically pushes chemotherapy and radiation treatments as a solution, despite the fact that both treatments are completely ineffective apart from surgery. And even when surgery is involved, the cure rate remains at a dismal low five percent."Conventional medical and surgical procedures obviously do not cure pancreatic cancer for the vast majority of patients," says Wascher. "So, I think it's reasonable to be a little more open-minded about complementary and alternative therapies when you have tried conventional therapies and have no other options. Both laboratory and clinical studies suggest there are some nutritional therapies that might have an effect on pancreatic cancer."One such alternative therapy that Wascher often prescribes to his cancer patients is to take turmeric , a powerful anticancer spice that contains curcumin. A Phase II clinical trial conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center found that turmeric was equal to or better than all currently available US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs, except that it does not cause the same negative side effects.When combined with other powerful nutrients like fish oil, olive oil, or black pepper, turmeric's anticancer effects are even further amplified, as the spice is not very well absorbed by the body on its own. Getting plenty of vitamin D, drinking green tea, and eating cruciferous vegetables will also help to thwart the disease ( https://www.naturalnews.com/pancreatic_cancer... ).Avoiding things like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), aspirin, and processed meats containing nitrates will also help to prevent pancreatic cancer , as each of these has been shown to fuel cancer cell growth.