10 ways to avoid cancer
About 40 per cent of cancers can be prevented by simple changes in lifestyle. Here are some ways to reduce your risk
1. Don’t smoke; don’t be a passive smoker
Some 85 per cent of lung cancer cases are a result of smoking, making the link between tobacco use and cancer too strong to ignore.
Not smoking or quitting is, thus, one of the most important health decisions you can make, reducing your own cancer risk as well as your family’s exposure to secondhand smoke.
And it’s not just lung cancer you can avoid: Tobacco use is also a cause of cancers of the liver, pharynx, oesophagus and stomach.
2. Protect yourself from the sun
Most skin cancers occur on exposed parts of your body, such as the face, hands, forearms and ears. Thus, while repeated exposure to X-rays or contact with certain chemicals may cause skin cancer, the most common cause is still sun exposure.
Detected early, most cases of skin cancer are treatable but it’s, of course, best to avoid it altogether.
3. Maintain a healthy weight
Studies show that those with a healthy weight lower their risk of certain cancers, such as breast and colorectal cancers. Use the Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine your ideal weight. According to the World Health Organisations, for Asians, a BMI of 23 or more moderately increases risks of cancer, while a BMI of 27.5 or more represents a high risk.
BMI = weight (kg) / height (m)2
4. Lead an active life
Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, physical activity on its own may lower risk of cancers such as breast and colon cancer. Exercise or be physically active as often as you can, even if it’s just walking the dog or playing with kids in the park.
5. Eat more plant-based foods
What you eat can hurt you, but it can also help you. A variety of greens and other plant-based foods, such as garlic, grapes and blueberries, broccoli and cauliflower, as well as green tea are said to repair damaged cells and help prevent cancer.
6. Limit meats/processed foods
Meanwhile, eating a diet high in animal fats and processed meats, such as ham, bacon and sausages, have also been linked to certain cancers, especially bowel or colorectal cancer.
7. Drink in moderation
The risk of cancers such as mouth, throat, kidney, liver and breast cancers increase with the amount of alcohol you drink and how long (i.e. the number of years) you’ve been drinking regularly.
8. Get screened
Women who go routinely for Pap smear screenings rarely die from cervical cancer. And, almost no one would die of colorectal (bowel) cancer if everyone went for a colonoscopy every three years. These are cancers which can be detected at pre-cancerous stage.
For a woman over the age of 40, an annual mammogram may save her life by detecting cancer at an early stage, even before symptoms are felt.
With surgery alone, the cure rate is 100 per cent for stage 0 breast cancer, 70 to 80 per cent for stage I cancer, and is one of the most treatable and curable of all the cancers.
9. Get vaccinated
Cancers which are linked to viral infections may be prevented with immunisation. These include Hepatitis B (which may cause liver cancer) and HPV or human papillomavirus (which causes cervical cancer). Check with your doctor whether vaccination will be beneficial to you.
10. Know your body
Finally, while this doesn’t prevent cancer, understanding your body increases your chances of surviving it. Self examinations and being aware of any changes in your body – a sore that refuses to heal, lumps, unusual bleeding or discharge, changes in a mole or wart – increases your chances of early detection and cure.
Parkway Cancer Centre provided the information and figures.
