Cancer prevention: How to prevent cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In fact, 1 in every 5 deaths in the US is due to cancer. 1 A person’s individual chances of getting cancer are hard to predict, but there are some lifestyle habits you can adopt to help lower your chances of getting certain cancers. Let’s take a look. 

Prevention is the best cure. The next best thing is early detection. Make regular check-up appointments with your healthcare provider to ensure you’re in good health overall, and request cancer screenings if you have any concerns. 

It’s recommended that young people with female reproductive systems get the HPV vaccine to lower their risk of cervical cancer. This vaccine can be administered to preteens from the age of 9 and is not recommended for people older than 26. Some adults aged 27-45 not yet vaccinated may choose the HPV vaccine after discussing risks and benefits with their doctor. However, its effectiveness is reduced in this age group due to higher existing HPV exposure.

Regular pap smears are a good idea from mid-20s onwards, and mammogram screenings for breast cancer are important from middle-age onwards. People with male reproductive systems should speak to their healthcare providers about if and when it makes sense to get screened for prostate cancer. 2

Another thing to pay attention to is any changes in your skin or body and report anything that concerns you to your healthcare provider. 

Use of tobacco products is linked to 9 in every 10 cases of lung cancer. 3 Smoking tobacco, or spending time in smoky places, can also play a role in many other cancers throughout the body. 

Luckily, widespread smoking bans have lessened non-smokers’ likelihood of coming into contact with second-hand tobacco smoke. It’s best to avoid smoky environments in your private life and, if you smoke, try to quit today. It takes most smokers several attempts at quitting before they succeed. 4

There are a lot of myths about diet and cancer. Go online, and you’ll find many people trying to sell cancer-preventing supplements. It’s important to take dietary advice only from licensed professionals. Do not believe marketing campaigns or claims made by influencers. 

A healthy diet contains plenty of fresh, unprocessed produce, limited fast foods or added sugars, and lots of fiber to keep your digestion moving. If you’re not sure, ask your healthcare provider or a dietician for advice. 

Drinking alcohol raises your risk of several kinds of cancer, particularly those affecting the liver, digestive system, mouth and throat, voice box, and breasts. 5 Excessive alcohol intake can increase the risk of stomach and pancreatic cancers. 

Drinking less alcohol is better for your health than drinking more. If you cannot or do not want to quit alcohol completely, try to limit your intake as much as you can. 

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the United States. 6 Take care when enjoying the sun, and make sure to stay in the shade as much as possible. Wear sunscreen and sun protective clothing, a hat, and sunglasses. It’s also important to avoid indoor tanning and sunbeds. 

Obesity or being overweight is linked with an increased risk of 13 types of cancer. These cancers make up 40% of all diagnosed in the United States every year.7 If you are overweight, speak to your healthcare provider about your diet and exercise routines. It’s worth noting that overweight people tend to face a lot of discrimination in the healthcare system so healthcare providers need to ensure every patient is properly listened to and provided for. 

Diseases like cancer are largely down to chance as well as genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. However, taking some preventative steps will improve your health overall and reduce your risk. 

If you have symptoms that concern you, try a symptom assessment in the Ada app, and seek immediate medical attention if you think there might be any risk that you have cancer. 

Take care of yourself,

Ada