STEPS IN PREVENTING CANCER

Researchers say if we stopped using tobacco,
grew thinner, exercised regularly, avoided diets
rich in red meat, and ate diets rich in fruits and
vegetables, we would prevent two-thirds all
cancers. Here are 7 steps -- all within your
control -- that you can take to reduce your
cancer risk:
1. First and foremost, don't use tobacco in any
form.
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of
death - with 400,000 Americans dying every year
from their own cigarette smoking, and an
additional 26,000 - 73,000 nonsmokers dying
each year from exposure to secondhand smoke.
Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS,
card accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and
suicides COMBINED!
Of the roughly 416,000 kids who become daily
smokers each year, almost a third will ultimately
die from it. Smokers lose, on average, 13 to 14
years of life because of smoking.
Smoking damages nearly every organ in the
human body. It is linked to at least 15 different
cancers and accounts for some 30% of all cancer
deaths, and 90% of all cases of lung cancer - the
leading cause of cancer death in both men and
women. Yet, one in five Americans still lights up.
And, nearly every adult who smokes (almost 90
percent) took his or her first puff at or before the
age of 18.
Call to quit - today!
If you or someone you love uses tobacco, call
1.800.227.2345 to get the help you need to quit.
Or, visit www.cancer.org/smokeout .
2. Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
In the United States, overweight and obesity
contribute to 14% - 20% of all cancer deaths.
Being overweight are clearly associated with
increased of developing many cancers, including
breast (in postmenopausal women), colon,
endometrium, kidney, and esophagus, and it is
suspected to raise risk of other types of cancer,
as well.
The best way to reduce body fat is to restrict
caloric intake and increase physical activity. To
reduce calories, reduce your portion sizes (ditch
the supersizing), avoid high-calorie foods such
as fired foods, cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream,
and soft drinks.
Fat tissue increases estrogen levels and high
estrogen levels increase breast cancer risk.
Obesity also leads to high levels of insulin-like
growth factor (IGF-1) in the circulation. This
could prevent early-stage cancer cells scattered
throughout the body from dying, since insulin-
like growth factor inhibits the action of cell
suicide genes. Fat cells also release
inflammatory chemicals into the circulation that
can stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
The good news is that regular or moderate
exercise lowers the levels of inflammation and
IGF-1 -- even if the exercise does not lead to a
healthy weight. And, regular exercise also lowers
blood-estrogen levels in women, helping protect
against breast cancer.
Being overweight in youth tends to continue
throughout life, so keeping a healthy (not
obsessive) watch on your weight is a good thing.
3. Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
Adults: Engage in at least 30 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical activity, above
usual activities, on 5 or more days of the week;
45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity
are preferable.
Children and adolescents: Engage in at least 60
minutes per day of moderate to vigorous
physical activity at least 5 days per week.
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables, less red meat.
Have you ever read the label on packaged
foods? It's sometimes hard to figure out what
the actual food is inside. The more unprocessed
your food is, the better. We recommend you:
Eat 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits
each day. (This isn't as hard as you think. One
serving equals 1 medium apple, banana, orange,
etc.; 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit;
1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables; and 1/2 cup of
other cooked or raw vegetables, chopped.) The
brighter the vegetable the more antioxidants it
contains. Antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin
E, carotenoids, and many phytochemicals that
help prevent damage to cells in the body from
chemical reactions with oxygen. Whether they
actually reduce cancer risk is open to debate.
Limit French fries, snack chips, and other fried
vegetable products and avoid all trans fats.
Choose whole grain rice, bread, pasta, and
cereals over processed (refined) products.
Limit intake of refined carbohydrates (starches),
such as pastries, sweetened cereals, and other
high-sugar foods.
Limit intake of processed meats and red meats -
both of which have been linked to colon cancer.
Choose fish, poultry, or beans instead of beef,
pork, and lamb.
When you eat meat, choose lean cuts and eat
smaller portions.
Prepare meat by baking, broiling, or poaching,
rather than by frying or charbroiling. Cooking
meat and fish at high temperatures causes
cancer-causing agents to form. Two ways to
alleviate this are to use a marinade that contains
lemon or vinegar marinade before you put the
meat on the grill, and to avoid having the fire
flare up.
5. If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your
intake.
Drink no more than 1 drink per day for women or
2 per day for men. Alcohol consumption is an
established cause of cancers of the mouth,
pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, and breast. For
each of these cancers, risk increases
substantially with intake of more than 2 drinks
per day. Regular consumption of even a few
drinks per week has been associated with an
increased risk of breast cancer in women. How
alcohol affects breast cancer is not clear. It may
be because alcohol increases estrogen levels in
the blood, reduces folic acid, or has a direct
effect on breast tissue.
6. Don't catch those rays - outdoors or in the
tanning bed.
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers,
and one of the most preventable. It accounts for
nearly half of all cancers in the United States.
Although repeated exposure to X-rays or contact
with certain chemicals can play a role, sun
exposure is by far the most common cause of
skin cancer.
Most skin cancer occurs on exposed parts of
your body, including your face, hands, forearms
and ears. Nearly all skin cancer is treatable if
you detect it early, but it's better to prevent it in
the first place. Try these tips:
Avoid peak radiation hours. The sun's ultraviolet
(UV) radiation peaks between 10 a.m. and 4
p.m. Minimize or avoid being outside during
these hours.
Stay in the shade. If you go outside, minimize
your sun exposure by staying in the shade.
Cover exposed areas. Wear light-colored, loose-
fitting clothing that protects you from the sun's
rays. Use tightly woven fabrics that cover your
arms and legs, and wear a broad-brimmed hat
that covers your head and ears.
Don't skimp on sunscreen. Make sure your
sunscreen has a sun protection factor (SPF) of
at least 15.
Don't use indoor tanning beds or sun lamps.
These can damage your skin as much as the sun
can. There's no such thing as a healthy tan.
A recent study by the Environmental Working
Group found that one in every eight name-brand
sunscreens did not protect against ultraviolet A
rays which can cause long-term damage and
skin cancer. The sun protection factor (SPF)
rating currently placed on all sunscreens only
reflects the lotion's effectiveness in blocking
ultraviolet B rays. As a result of such research,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the
process of approving a new regulation that
would set standards for testing and labeling
sunscreens for UVA protection as well as for
UVB.
7. Be Proactive -- Get screened
For people age 20 or older having periodic health
exams, a cancer-related checkup should include
health counseling, and depending on a person's
age and gender, might include exams for cancers
of the thyroid, oral cavity, skin, lymph nodes,
testes, and ovaries, as well as for some non-
malignant (non-cancerous) diseases.
All women should begin cervical cancer screening
about 3 years after they begin having intercourse,
but no later than age 21 years old. Screening
should be done every year with the regular Pap
test or every 2 years using the newer liquid-
based Pap test. Women age 40 and older should
get a mammogram every year, and men and
women age 50, who are at average risk for colon
cancer, should begin regular testing.
Read the American Cancer Society Guidelines for
the Early Detection of Cancer . The earlier cancer
is found, the greater chance treatment will be
successful. We have a free email mammogram
reminder to alert women 40 and older to
schedule their yearly mammogram. Share it with
your loved ones!