As Lauren Brohm, Executive Assistant and Office Manager of The United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF) details, although many risk factors that could potentially cause cancers can be avoided, some, such as inherited conditions, are unavoidable. Still, it is exremely important to be aware of these factors, while bearing in mind that not everyone with a particular risk factor for cancer actually gets the disease - in fact, most do not. People who have an increased likelihood of developing cancer can help protect themselves by avoiding risk factors whenever possible and by getting regular checkups. By so doing, if a cancer does develop then it is likely to be found early. The value of these preventive strategies is increasingly becoming more obvious. In addition to helping reduce the risk of cancer, most of these strategies can also help you avoid other serious diseases including heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. Unfortunately, nothing guarantees a cancer-free life. But, by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, your chances are immeasurably increased.
As Lauren Brohm advises, there are certain steps that everyone should consider taking to help prevent a cancer developing. Foremost among-st these is regular screening and self-examination for certain cancers. This increases your chances of discovering cancer at a much earlier period when treatment is more likely to be successful. Screening should include your skin, mouth, colon and rectum. If you are a man, it should also include your prostate and testes. If you’re a woman, add your cervix and breasts. You can also examine yourself for cancers of the skin, breasts and testes. Be aware of changes in your body. This may help you detect cancer in its early stages. If you are suspicious of changes, do not feel embarrassed. Go and see your doctor as soon as possible.
Secondly, of course, avoid tobacco products. All types of tobacco can put you on a collision course with cancer. Not using tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. Avoiding tobacco in any form significantly reduces your risk of cancers of the lungs, esophagus, voice box (larynx), mouth, bladder, kidneys, pancreas and, in women, the cervix. In the United States, cigarette smoking is the cause of about 90 percent of all cases of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. It is also responsible for about a third of all cancer deaths. Every time you smoke a cigarette, you inhale dozens of substances (carcinogens) that can cause cells to become cancerous. Tar in smoke also forms a sticky brown layer on the lining of your lungs and air passages. This layer traps carcinogens you’ve inhaled.
Smoking cigars or using chewing tobacco isn’t safe either. Compared with non-smokers, cigar smokers have higher rates of lung cancer and are 4 to 10 times more likely to die of cancers of the larynx, esophagus and mouth. Chewing tobacco also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, cheeks and gums. Even if you don’t smoke, reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke. Each year, about 3,000 nonsmokers die of lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.
