Cancer Prevention

What you can do — NOW — to reduce your risk of cancer
  • Don’t use tobacco
  • Get sufficient physical activity
  • Eat healthy foods in moderation
  • Participate in cancer screenings according to recommended guidelines
  • Get vaccinated against the Human Papilomavirus (HPV)

Lifestyle Choices May Prevent Cancer

For people who do not use tobacco, the most important cancer risk factors that can be changed are body weight, diet, and physical activity.
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life
  • Be physically active. Doing some physical activity above usual activities, no matter what one’s level of activity, can have many health benefits.
  • Limit sedentary behavior such as sitting, lying down, watching TV, and other forms of screen-based entertainment.
  • Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant foods
  • Get Routine Medical Care
    • Mammogram
      Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health, or up to age 70 if there are no other risk factors.
    • Colonoscopy
      Beginning at age 50, both men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should use one of the screening tests:

      • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
      • Colonoscopy every 10 years
      • Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years
      • CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years
    • Pap smear
      All women should begin cervical cancer testing (screening) at age 21. Women aged 21 to 29, should have a Pap test every 3 years. HPV testing should not be used for screening in this age group (although it may be used as a part of follow-up for an abnormal Pap test). Beginning at age 30, the preferred way to screen is with a Pap test combined with an HPV test every 5 years. This is called co-testing and should continue until age 65. Another reasonable option for women 30 to 65 is to get tested every 3 years with just the Pap test.
  • Other Health Tips
    • Individuals should check their skin for moles that are new, large, or irregular; contain more than one color; or change color.
    • An open dialogue with a family doctor supports important preventive measures on a timely basis, and if any tests suggest possible cancer, the result can be further explored quickly.
    • Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional, at least every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.

 

Source: American Cancer Society Learning About New Ways to Prevent Cancer.