How to Avoid Cancer

Cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, but it's most common among older adults. The American Cancer Society has estimated that about one in two men and one in three women will develop some type of cancer during their lifetimes. That's why it's important to understand what causes cancer, what you can do to prevent it — or at least delay the onset of the disease — and how to handle a diagnosis if you're unlucky enough to get one.

About 5,000 people in the U.S. die a day of cancer, but there are ways to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, and an estimated 1.6 million new cases will be diagnosed this year. Cancer is not one disease, but many different diseases that can affect any part of the body. Each type of cancer has its own set of causes and risk factors. Some types are known to run in families or certain ethnic groups; some have been linked with environmental exposures such as cigarette smoking or radiation exposure; others seem to occur randomly.

Cancer cells are abnormal cells that grow and divide uncontrollably, forming tumors that can infiltrate nearby tissues and metastasize (spread) to distant parts of the body through the lymphatic system or blood vessels.

Don't smoke, or if you do, try to quit.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and causes over 480,000 deaths each year.

While many people are aware that smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases such as heart disease, few understand just how powerful a risk factor it can be for cancer. A number of studies have shown that nicotine has direct effects on cells growing in laboratory dishes: It stimulates their growth and makes them divide more quickly than usual. Nicotine also makes them migrate toward other types of cells, like blood vessels or nerves. All these effects make it easier for a cancer cell to invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body (metastasize).

In addition to its direct actions on cancer cells, nicotine also promotes angiogenesis—the formation of new blood vessels from existing ones—which is crucial for tumor growth because tumors need nutrients from surrounding tissues in order to grow larger than about 1 mm wide (about 0.5 inch).

Maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise.

There is no one diet that will work for everyone. You have to find a plan that works for you and your lifestyle. If you are overweight, losing as little as 5% of your body weight can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which will lower your risk of heart disease.

If you are trying to lose weight:

• Eat smaller portions of food at each meal and eat less often throughout the day (fewer than three meals). It's also important not to skip meals or go too long without eating because this will cause your body to store fat instead of burning it off.

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day; they contain fiber, which helps control hunger pangs so that you don't overeat later on in the day—and they're low in calories!

• Choose lean meats like chicken breast or ground turkey breast instead of red meat like beef steak since these meats have fewer calories but still provide protein (the building block for muscles) when combined with complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads/pastas/rice dishes during lunchtime or dinner time meals respectively."

Minimize your exposure to sunlight. Too much sun can cause skin cancer.

Try to minimize your exposure to sunlight. Too much sun can cause skin cancer and other problems.

Protect yourself from the sun by wearing sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, along with clothing that covers most of your skin and a hat that shades the top of your head, ears, face and neck. Limit your time in direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when ultraviolet radiation is strongest and protective clothing is most effective at blocking UV rays.

Avoid tanning beds because they expose you to harmful ultraviolet radiation that can accelerate skin aging and increase risk for certain cancers including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in red meats and processed foods.

You can eat healthy on a budget by looking for sales, buying in bulk and watching food costs. Eating healthy isn't as expensive as you might think, but it does require some planning.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for food:

• Plan your meals ahead of time so you know what groceries you need each week.

• Buy food that's already packaged or precut so you don't have to cut it up yourself. This will save time and money on prep time in the kitchen!

• Shop at multiple stores for better prices on specific items; try shopping online for coupons before going out to buy groceries; ask about bulk discounts at checkout lines; get memberships from warehouse clubs like Costco where many items are cheaper than regular supermarkets

Limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for women and two for men.

• Alcohol is a carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer when consumed in excess. The risk of developing cancer increases with alcohol consumption.

• Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.

• The National Cancer Institute and World Health Organization have established the following guidelines for safe use of alcohol: Women should limit their intake to no more than one drink per day; men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks per day (a standard drink contains approximately 14 grams of pure ethanol).

We can't eliminate all risks of developing cancer, but we can do some things to minimize the chances we'll get it.

The risk of developing cancer is greatly increased by smoking. If you smoke, the best thing to do is stop.

You can also lower your chances of getting cancer by maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise that are right for you. If you need help losing weight, talk with your doctor or nurse about options such as meal replacements, counseling, and support groups.

Conclusion

There is no guaranteed way to prevent all cancers, but there are things we can do to reduce our risk of developing the disease. We can avoid risky behaviors like smoking or excessive sun exposure, and make lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, staying at a healthy weight and exercising regularly. If you have concerns about your risk factors for cancer or any other health condition, speak with your doctor about seeing a specialist who specializes in preventing these diseases before it's too late!

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