Sixteen years ago, neuroscientist and physician David Servan-Schreiber discovered during one of his own brain scanner experiments that he had brain cancer.  The diagnosis was an enormous shock, but David proceeded with chemotherapy and radiation, which he says saved his life.

When the treatment finished, he was at loss.  The chemo was was complete but David wanted to do all he could to prevent the cancer from returning.  He says, "As soon as you stop the chemo, you feel stripped, and you think, 'Wow, what do I do now?' And then everybody asks their doctor ... and this is when 99 percent of us get the standard answer, which is, 'Nothing in particular. Live your life like you always did.' "

So David investigated methods of preventing cancer from returning, and found a wealth of information his doctor had not mentioned.  "There's tremendous evidence that physical exercise helps prevent cancer, and also helps people who already have cancer prevent a recurrence," he says.

According to David, herbs and spices such as garlic, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, mint, and green tea help make the body less fertile for cancer. For instance, "When you put a little bit of garlic extract on cancer cells, they die."

He says vegetables and fruits such as brussel sprouts, asparagus and raspberries can target specific cancers, at least in test tubes.

"Your body knows how to fight cancer," David advises. "Help it with the right nutrition, with physical exercise, with managing stress better, and avoiding contaminants that feed cancer. And if you do these things, which are very simple, you're greatly increasing your chance of beating the odds."

David recently authored a best-selling book, Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, to share his story with other patients.