Study after study has shown that many forms of cancer are preventable. The choices you make today can improve your chances of living a healthy and cancer-free life in the future. The following six steps can help you prevent many forms of cancer.

Don’t let smoke get into your eyes: If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health right now. Around 30 percent of all cancer deaths are connected to smoking. Smoking has been linked to cancers of the lungs, mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidneys and bladder. If you don’t smoke, try to avoid smoky areas as research also shows that there is a link between passive smoking and an increased risk of cancer.

 

Practice preventive care: The earlier cancer is found, the easier it can be treated. As your age increases, so does your need for cancer screenings. Seeing your doctor for regular exams can help you detect many forms of cancer early including cancers of the breasts, colon, rectum, cervix, tongue, mouth and skin.  If you are over forty you should also have a clinical breast exam every year and if you are over 50 you should also be tested every five years for colon and rectal cancers.

 

Stay in shape: Cancer researchers estimate that 15 percent of all new colon cancer cases could be prevented if everyone exercised for 30 to 60 minutes or more per day. Exercise can also reduce your risk of breast, kidney and womb cancers. Are you ready to begin reaping the benefits of regular exercise? Try to do something moderately active for 30 to 60 minutes most or all days of the week. Walking briskly for two miles can be a pleasant and rewarding pastime. Or you can swim, play tennis, garden or do housework. Have you ever thought about learning to dance? Dancing is another great way to have fun and stay in shape.

 

Eat a healthy diet: Cancers develop for many reasons so eating a healthy diet that includes super foods that are thought to help beat cancer won’t always keep you immune to the disease. Having said this there is without doubt a positive association between a healthy diet and cancer prevention. Damaged cells need to replicate in order to grow into cancer cells and some substances in our diet can either encourage this replication process and promote the growth of cancer or slow it down, so protecting you against cancer. According to the Cancer Research Foundation of America, 35 percent of all cancers may be linked to diet so are you doing all that you can to eat healthy?

Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, oily fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains and low in saturated fat, red meat and refined, processed foods may protect you from many forms of cancer. These foods contain high levels of antioxidants, fibre and other substances which help your body resist and fight cancer. Bear in mind, that despite all you may have heard about super foods for beating cancer, such as green tea, garlic, tomatoes or cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli – no one food can do it all. To get the best cancer protection, variety is the key to a healthy diet. You should also try to buy as much organic food as possible to avoid the risk of pesticides, additives, preservatives and colourings that have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

 

Say no to that drink: If you drink alcohol, you can reduce your risk of many types of cancer by stopping or by limiting the amount you drink to no more than one a day, with a break of a few days a week with no alcohol.  lcohol has been linked to cancers such as breast, liver, rectum, mouth, oesophagus and bladder cancers.

 

Get some sunshine: Although you should avoid being out in the sun when its rays are at their most intense, from noon to 3 pm. this does not mean you should avoid sunlight completely in the early mornings or evenings as natural light is our main source of cancer fighting vitamin D.  Aim for at least 30 minutes of natural day light a day.

Eating 1.8 0z (50g) of processed meat a day – the equivalent of just one sausage a day or two to three slices of bacon – can significantly raise your risk of bowel cancer, according to experts from WCRF or The World Cancer Research Fund. This alarming statistic adds weight to the growing body of evidence that suggest that a diet high in meat can be deadly.

According to the WCRF, the evidence from thousands of studies on lifestyle and cancer is so strong that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer that the best option is to avoid it completely. When you consider that eating just 50g of processed meat a day can increase your risk by up to a fifth, it is clear that you can make a difference by cutting out as much as possible or even better eliminating it altogether. Processed meats may also trigger cancer in the prostate, lung, stomach and oesophagus. Processed meats are preserved by smoking and salting and include sausages, bacon, ham, salami and hot dogs. 

If you’re trying to make up your mind about whether or not to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or try natural alternatives a major new study by the Women’s Health Initiative gives food for thought. The US study suggests HRT patients face a higher cancer risk long after they have stopped treatment, when compared to those who never had the treatment.

Previous studies have shown a link between HRT and breast cancer – but it was thought that the increased risk disappeared fairly quickly.  This new study, however, shows that the risk of breast cancer can linger for up to three years after stopping HRT.

The results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that the risk of breast cancer remained 27% higher while risks of any type of cancer were 24% higher.  The other health risks associated with HRT e.g. strokes and clots do not persist and return to normal after stopping HRT.