How to Lower Your Risk of Cancer

Knowing the current science about cancer and using your common sense can help you lower your risk of cancer. Here's what you should know.

Despite more people than ever surviving and thriving after a cancer diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains one of the most common causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — second only to heart disease. While there’s no guarantee individuals can avoid ever developing cancer, the good news is there are many proven ways to help lower your risk of cancer, and they basically break down into a list of dos and don'ts.

The payoff for health could be significant. Experts at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), a non-profit organization that funds studies about cancer risks and prevention, estimate at least 42 percent of newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. are potentially preventable. The AICR notes there’s no way to stop all cancers from developing, but lowering known risk factors linked to cancer can go far to reduce your odds of having a malignancy.

You probably are aware of at least some of the well-known ways to help prevent cancer — such as not smoking to lower your risk for lung cancer and avoiding excess sun exposure to help keep skin cancer at bay. But, for maximum effect at cancer prevention, it makes sense to learn about more of the top science-backed ways to lower your cancer risk. Then do your best to follow these cancer prevention tips by making them an integral part of your lifestyle.

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First, consider these basics, the trinity of cancer prevention:

• Exercise. It doesn’t even have to be formalized. The AICR says be “physically active every day in any way for a half hour or more.” That could easily amount to the things you need to do around the house, or in the garage, the yard, or the basement. Just don’t be a couch potato.
• Maintain a healthy weight. That means being as lean as possible. A good rule of thumb is to aim for the lower end of the healthy body mass index range.
• Eat right. Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat, and avoid processed foods, especially processed meat. Research shows that fruits and vegetables probably protect against a range of cancers, including mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, lung, pancreas, and prostate cancers, the AICR says.

You also can add other important dos and don’ts to your list of cancer prevention to further reduce your risk.

Dos

• Follow cancer screening guidelines. Early detection methods can find pre-cancerous changes in some parts of your body, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
• Get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that boys and girls get the HPV vaccine series at 11 or 12 to reduce the risk of cancers caused by HPV infection (the vaccine can be given as young as age 9). If you are a female between ages 13 and 26, talk to your doctor about whether the HPV vaccine could reduce your cancer risk.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about vaccination to protect from heptatitis B. Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver, and it’s a recognized cause of liver cancer. The CDC recommends the hepatitis B vaccine for all children and adolescents younger than 19 who have not been vaccinated. Adults at highest risk for hepatitis B infection should be vaccinate, especially those in non-monogamous relationships who may contract the virus through sexual exposure, healthcare workers at risk for exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids on the job, and people who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common.
• Know your family history. “The most common, most deadly diseases facing Americans tend to run in families — heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer,” says the ACS. A family history of cancer is an important risk factor for several forms of the disease. While you can’t change your family history, be aware of your family and personal medical history, and sharing the information with your doctor. Your doctor can make sure you have extra screenings or genetic testing for certain family-linked cancers, if needed, to find out about any extra risks you may have and how to lower them.

Don'ts

• Don’t smoke. Research shows almost 9 of 10 lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking cigarettes or secondhand smoke exposure, according to the CDC. If you want to stop, medications, counseling, behavioral techniques, and other resources can help. Your chances of successfully quitting are high if you use a plan that includes a support system and systematic steps.
• Avoid tanning or spending extended time in the sun. Excessive exposure to the ultraviolent (UV) end of the sunlight spectrum is a major risk for most types of skin cancer. Avoid tanning beds and minimize the time you spend in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense. Protect yourself with clothing rated for UV protection. Use sunscreen every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy; you’re still getting UV radiation.
• Don’t assume everything you read online about certain supplements, herbs, or other alternative approaches to cancer prevention are valid; some may have potentially dangerous side effects. Talk to your doctor about the safety and efficacy of complementary and alternative approaches to health, including cancer prevention.
• Avoid foods that are possible cancer risk factors. Simply following common guidelines for what constitutes a healthy diet will help. Cancer-promoting foods are believed to be those high in refined sugar, processed carbohydrates, preservatives, the by-products of deep-frying, and grilled or burnt meats.
• If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation. The risk of various types of cancer — breast, colon, lung, kidney, and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.
• Don’t expose yourself to cancer-linked substances. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with this list of known carcinogens, provided by the ACS.

Finally, print out a list of 10 recommendations for cancer prevention from the AICR that’s perfect for your refrigerator as a daily reminder.

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