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GoogleWe all know cancer can strike anyone, anywhere. What we don’t always consider: all the things we can do to greatly improve our odds.
About three out of four cancer cases and deaths are linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, most of which you have some control over, said Dru Szczerba, director of prevention for the Great Lakes division of the American Cancer Society.
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“There are some cancers that cannot be prevented, but the large majority can be,” she said.
Eating poorly, lack of exercise and being overweight or obese are linked to 35 percent of U.S. cancer cases and deaths, said Szczerba. Another 30 percent is attributable to tobacco use.
People don’t always make connections between exercising, eating well and preventing cancer, said Keith Logie, medical oncologist with the Central Indiana Cancer Centers.
And the longer you make these lifestyle changes, the more impact they’re likely to have.
“It’s important to achieve a healthy lifestyle at any time in your life,” he said. “But the best chance to see an impact is with kids, establishing those healthy habits early.”
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. But there are steps you can take to lower your risk.
1. Move more.
Why: A lack of physical activity specifically increases the risk for colon, post-menopausal breast and endometrial cancers, says the American Institute for Cancer Research. Activity lowers hormone levels that raise the risk for breast and endometrial cancers. If you move a lot, the digestive system works better, leading to less risk of colon cancer.
You can cut the risk of colon cancer — the most preventable cancer — in half with physical activity and reduce risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and endometrial cancer by up to 40 percent, says the National Cancer Institute.
What you can do: Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on five or more days a week. Upping that to 45 to 60 minutes is even better. If you can’t swing that, work in 10-minute spans (run up and down the stairs at work on a break). Schedule exercise on your calendar — you’ll be less likely to blow it off. Play outside with your family. And do active physical chores, such as washing your car, planting a garden, cleaning out the garage.
2. Get your screenings and immunizations.
Why: Half of new cancer cases could be prevented or detected earlier with proper screenings, said Szczerba.
What you can do: Talk to your doctor to decide on which tests you need and how often to take them. Among the most important: colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and fecal occult blood test for colon cancer; mammogram for breast cancer; PAP test for cervical cancer; PSA test and digital rectal exam for prostate cancer; and self-exam or dermatologist check for skin cancer.
Females age 26 and younger are encouraged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, which can prevent many viruses that cause cervical cancer.
3. Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans.
Why: Diets high in fruits and vegetables — which have key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber — are linked to lower rates of mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and stomach cancers, says the AICR. Whole-grain foods, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread, have more fiber and phytochemicals that may lower cancer risk. Legumes or beans provide fiber, and new families of phytochemicals with health benefits have been discovered in them.
What you can do: Fill at least two-thirds of your plate with these types of foods, says the AICR. Substitute brown rice for potatoes or white rice, or try other whole grains, such as kasha, bulgur or quinoa.
4. Don’t overdo alcohol.
Why: Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day and men no more than two per day.
In about 50 studies, alcohol has been shown to be a small-to-modest cancer risk factor, say experts in “Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship.” One drink a day increases the risk 6 percent to 10 percent and two drinks a day, 25 percent.
What you can do: Bring booze-free beverages to parties. Develop a taste for flavored water and other noncaloric drinks. Sip a glass of wine or beer slowly.
5. Reduce processed and red meats and fat.
Why: Red meat, which researchers defined as beef, lamb and pork, appears to increase your chance of developing colon cancer, said the AICR. Once you’ve eaten 18 ounces in a week, every additional ounce-and-a-half raises your risk of cancer by 15 percent, the group says. Studies suggest people with high-fat diets also have increased risk of uterine and prostate cancers.
Processed meats, such as sausage, bacon and lunch meats, raise the risk of colon and stomach cancers even more, the AICR reports.
What you can do: Think of meats as the side dish, with vegetables, beans, rice and pasta as the main event. Choose lean “loin” or “round” meats. AICR experts say two or three servings of 6 to 8 ounces of red meat bring you to the 18-ounce suggested limit. Save processed meats for special occasions.
6. Control your weight.
Why: Excess body fat has been directly linked to colon, rectal, pancreatic, kidney, endometrial, esophageal and post-menopausal breast cancer, according to the AICR.
Body fat is metabolically more active. Fat cells pump proteins and hormones into the blood and, over time, these substances raise the risk.
Higher levels of estrogen in obese women raise their chance of breast cancer and dying from it after menopause. And they have two to four times the risk of developing uterine cancer than healthy-weight women, regardless of menopausal status.
What you can do: Check online sites, such as www.mypyramid.gov, for food calorie counts. Consult a dietitian or your doctor. Join a weight-management group.
7. Don’t smoke (or be around it).
Why: Not smoking is the most important step people can take to lower cancer risk, said Stephen Williams, oncologist and director of the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center. Secondhand smoke is obviously dangerous, he added.
We all know smoking can lead to lung cancer. But many don’t know it raises risk of cancer of the mouth, nasal cavities, larynx, throat, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterine, cervix and acute myeloid leukemia.
What you can do: Take a smoking cessation class. Contact Indiana Tobacco Quitline, (800) 784-8669 (QUIT-NOW), www.indianatobacco quitline.net; American Lung Association, (800) 586-4872, www.lungusa .org. Use nicotine-replacement products. Avoid smoky bars.
8. Stay out of the sun.
Why: The two most common skin cancers, basal or squamous cell cancers, are highly curable (95 percent) if detected and treated early, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Once the more serious type, melanoma, has progressed to stage 4, it’s hard to cure.
What you can do: Wear protective clothing; use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 against both ultraviolet A and B rays; avoid direct midday sunlight and artificial tanning.
