Tips on cancer prevention

In many cases, what is known about cancer prevention is still evolving. However, it’s well accepted that your chances of developing cancer are affected by the lifestyle choices you make.

So if you’re concerned about cancer prevention, take comfort in the fact that some simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

Consider these seven cancer prevention tips, recommended by Mayo Clinic, U.S.A.

1. Stop use of tobacco

In any form, use of tobacco has been linked with cancer of lung, bladder, cervix and kidney. Even the cigarette pack has a warning.  Chewing of tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Stay away from smokers, as even if you don’t use tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.

Avoiding tobacco is an important part of cancer prevention.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Even if eating a healthy diet does not guarantee cancer prevention, it helps reduce your risk. Consider these guidelines:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables: Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans.
• Limit fat: Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and might increase the risk of overweight or obesity — which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.
• Use alcohol in moderation: The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.

3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active

Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.

Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. Include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better.

4. Protect yourself from the sun

Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer — and one of the most preventable. Try these tips:

• Avoid midday sun (between 10 a.m. and 4 pm)
• Stay in the shade.
• Cover exposed areas.
• Use sunscreen.

5. Get immunized

Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections. Talk to your doctor about immunization against:

Hepatitis B: It can increase the risk of developing liver cancer.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical and other genital cancers as well as squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is available to both men and women age 26 or younger who didn’t have the vaccine as adolescents.

6. Avoid risky behaviors

Another effective cancer prevention tactic is to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to infections that, in turn, might increase the risk of cancer. For example:

• Practice safe sex. Limit your number of sexual partners, and use a condom when you have sex. The more sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to contract a sexually transmitted infection — such as HIV or HPV. People who have HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver and lung. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer, but it might also increase the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina.
• Don’t share needles. Sharing needles with an infected drug user can lead to HIV, as well as hepatitis B and hepatitis C — which can increase the risk of liver cancer.

7. Get regular medical care

Regular self-exams and screenings for various types of cancers — such as cancer of the skin, colon, prostate, cervix and breast — can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

Take cancer prevention into your own hands, starting today. The rewards will last a lifetime.

Dr. Ajay Sati.