Cancer risk can increase significantly with age, but a recent report from the American Cancer Society has revealed changing trends, with increasing cancer rates now seen among young adults, particularly women.
The alarming trends highlighted in the report show increasing rates of early-onset cancersnotably breast, uterine, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, in adults under 50 years of age. Although genetic and lifestyle factors play a role, experts are now studying the impact of environmental exposures on this worrying increase.
Simple lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, moderating alcohol consumption and eating a nutrient-rich diet can significantly reduce cancer risks.
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Here are some small steps you can take today that can go a long way to cancer prevention:
Maintain a healthy weight
Losing weight through a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of cancer from lifestyle factors. Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher risk of developing 13 types of cancer, including breast cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer, gallbladder cancer and liver cancer. These cancers represent 40% of all cancers diagnosed each year in the United States.
Stay tobacco-free
Quitting tobacco products like cigarettes and smokeless tobacco can significantly reduce your risk of cancer. Tobacco use is associated with cancers such as lung cancer, oral cancer and bladder cancer. A decade of quitting smoking can reduce your risk of lung cancer by 30 to 50 percent and also reduces the risk of bladder, esophagus, or kidney cancer. This number may further decrease over subsequent years of kicking ass. You can reduce the risk of mouth, throat, or larynx cancer by stopping these products for 5 to 10 years.
Eat foods high in fiber
Consuming fiber-rich foods can keep your gut healthy, prevent weight gain, and reduce the risk of at least 13 types of cancer. It notably reduces the risk of intestinal cancer. Foods high in fiber can add bulk to your stool, helping it move through the intestine. It also removes harmful substances from your intestine.
Don’t drink alcohol
Alcohol consumption is linked to seven types of cancer, including mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, liver and breast. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently called for alcohol labels to be updated to highlight this risk. The Surgeon General added that alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity.
Wear sunscreen
The sun’s harmful UV rays could increase the risk of skin cancer and it is important to wear sunscreen to prevent this deadly disease. It works by blocking or absorbing UV rays that cause skin cancer. Although there is concern that sunscreens cause cancer, there is no clear evidence that their use increases the risk of breast cancer or any other type of cancer.
Physical activity
Exercising every day not only keeps you fit but also reduces the risk of several chronic diseases, including cancer. Physically active people have a lower risk of developing several common cancers like breast cancer, colon cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, among others.
It is important to be up to date with cancer screening because it plays a vital role in cancer prevention by detecting the disease in its early, more treatable stages, often before symptoms appear. Early detection through screening can reduce cancer-related mortality and improve long-term survival rates. This also allows for timely intervention, thereby reducing the risk of advanced disease progression.
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