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Cancer prevention: 7 steps to reduce your risk
Small changes in your everyday life might help reduce your risk of cancer.
By Mayo Clinic staffYou've probably heard conflicting reports in the news about what can or can't help you in terms of cancer prevention. The issue of cancer prevention gets confusing — sometimes what's recommended in one report is advised against in another. What you can be sure of when it comes to cancer prevention is that making small changes to your everyday life might help reduce your chances of getting cancer. Try these seven cancer prevention steps.
Cancer prevention step 1: Don't use tobacco
All types of tobacco put you on a collision course with cancer. Rejecting tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention.
Smoking has been linked to several types of cancer, including:
- Bladder
- Cervix
- Esophagus
- Kidney
- Lip
- Lung
- Mouth
- Pancreas
- Throat
- Voice box (larynx)
Chewing tobacco has been linked to multiple types of cancer, including:
- Esophagus
- Mouth
- Pancreas
- Throat
Inhaled chewing tobacco (snuff) may increase the risk of cancers, including:
- Esophagus
- Mouth
Even if you don't smoke, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Being around others who are smoking may increase your risk of lung cancer.
Cancer prevention step 2: Eat a variety of healthy foods
Though making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't guarantee you won't get cancer, it may help reduce your risk.
The American Cancer Society recommends that you:
- Eat an abundance of foods from plant-based sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, eat other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans, several times a day. Replacing high-calorie foods in your diet with fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight or maintain your weight. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung and stomach.
- 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 may increase the risk of overweight or obesity, which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Your risk of cancers, including mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, liver and breast cancers, increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly. Even a moderate amount of drinking — two drinks a day if you're a man or one drink a day if you're a woman, and one drink a day regardless of your sex if you're over 65 — may increase your risk.
Cancer prevention step 3: Stay active and maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly also may play a role in cancer prevention. Being overweight or obese may increase your risk of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, stomach and uterus. Physical activity can help you avoid obesity by controlling your weight. Physical activity on its own may also lower your risk of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate and uterus.
Try to be physically active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. Once you achieve that goal, adding more exercise to your day may reduce your risk of certain cancers further.
Your exercise sessions can include such low-key activities as brisk walking, raking the yard or even ballroom dancing. Safe exercise programs are available for just about everyone. Your doctor or physical therapist can help design one for you.
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