Prevention of Cancer.
This topic of preventing cancer, gains considerable importance due to the fact that cancer, in our minds, is associated with death. We may talk of prevention of other diseases, which we know can be cured, or at least do not cause death. Cancer differs from other diseases in our mind because of the fear that getting cancer will definitely result in an early and agonizing death.
Though that may be partially true, it is relevant to mention here what has been mentioned in cancer statistics, that, only a little more than 50% of cancer patients die worldwide. Survival from cancer is possible and there are many factors that determine this — early detection of cancer being the most important factor.
Treatment of cancer has advanced, but it has side effects which are worse than most of the major diseases. How to prevent cancer therefore, is something, all of us must know. The fact that one third of cancer cases are preventable only substantiates this. Read causes of cancer to obtain more clarity on this topic.
Preventing Cancer.
Cancer prevention is based on three major factors:
(A) Healthy Living habits to prevent cancer and
(B) Diet to prevent cancer.
(C) Screening for Cancer, especially if you are prone.
Image showing three main factors that help to prevent cancer.
(A) Healthy Life style habits to prevent cancer.
1) Tobacco and Cancer.
That tobacco is classified as Group A (or 1) carcinogen is enough to warn us of its effectiveness in causing cancer. Read some more warning details in Tobacco and Cancer.
2) Obesity and Cancer.
Obesity contributes to having a high risk to getting many types of cancer. Read a detailed explanation given in Obesity and Cancer.
3) Protect yourself from the sun to prevent cancer.
An early morning soft sunlight is okay. But the harsh sunlight of late morning onwards can cause skin cancer, which is quite common. Research indicates that overexposure to the ultra violet rays present in the sunlight, greatly increases risk of getting skin cancer and is the No1 cause of skin cancer.
Avoid exposure to sun between 10 am to 5 pm, but if you have to, wear protective clothing and headgear and use a sun block of at least 15 SPF. Similarly, avoid sun lamps and tanning beds. Over exposure to sunlight for years can cause skin cancer typically of skin areas that are usually exposed to sunlight, eg arms, hands and ears.
4) Exercise regularly to prevent cancer.
Give 30 minutes daily for a moderate to vigorous workout. It will reduce your risk of getting breast cancer and colon cancer by as much as 40%. Exercise will also help you maintain a proper weight and again reduce your cancer risk due to being overweight.
Physical activity reduces your cancer risk by maintaining a proper energy balance, a better insulin regulation and hormone metabolism, and boosting your immune system.
5) Immunize yourself to prevent cancer.
As mentioned in causes of cancer, certain infections, like Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) do cause cancer. Have yourself immunized against these infections.
6) Practice safe sex to avoid cancer.
HIV and HPV patients are high risk candidates for cancer. HPV infection can cause cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus and the penis. Avoid polygamy or always use a condom. Regular screening of women with such a lifestyle by Paps smear, twice a year, is advised for an early detection of any cancer, if present.
7) Avoid excess sugar to prevent cancer.
The National Cancer Institute published a study which indicates that women who had a high sugar diet had a greater risk of getting colorectal cancer. The explanation could be that cancer cells metabolize 8 times greater than normal cells. Secondly, cancer cells metabolize by fermentation and not oxidation as normal cells do. And fermentation is a process which requires sugar. So avoid high sugar in your diet to avoid cancer.
Limit your alcohol intake to prevent cancer.
The more alcohol you consume, the greater are the chances of getting cancer. Limit alcohol consumption to one peg (60 ml) for women and two pegs for men. Alcohol can cause cancer of liver, breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon and the rectum. Combination of alcohol and tobacco is a very high risk factor to getting cancer.
How does alcohol cause cancer? The following theories are being propounded:
- Alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde in the body. Acetaldehyde stimulates the liver cells to grow and multiply at a faster rate. These fast growing cells are more likely to mutate and become cancerous.
- Alcohol increases the secretion of hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and insulin. As explained in causes of cancer and obesity and cancer, high levels of estrogen and progesterone are associated with breast cancer while high levels of testosterone is linked to cancer of the prostate.
- Excessive drinking causes cirrhosis of the liver which makes one susceptible to liver cancer.
9) Use disposable needles to prevent cancer.
Nowadays, mentioning this is not necessary, as it is become a mandatory practice to use disposable needles. But there some underdeveloped countries and areas, where reusable needles are being used even by the medical fraternity. This greatly increases one’s chances of getting AIDS or hepatitis B, which predispose to cancer.
10) Avoid oral contraceptives to prevent cancer.
Oral contraceptives contain estrogen and progesterone which can cause cancer. According to the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Center, women who took these hormone pills were at a greater risk of dying from cancer of the breast, uterus and lung.
11) Avoid exposure to chemicals that cause cancer.
This could be an occupational hazard or due to living in areas that are exposed to such carcinogenic environment. Either due to inhalation or direct contact, certain chemicals or their vapors can cause cancer. They are pesticides, benzene, nickel, uranium, nickel, glass wool, rock wool and radon, gasoline and diesel vapors. They can cause many types of cancers such as cancer of the lung, kidney and bladder.
12) Mental stress and cancer.
Studies conducted show conflicting conclusions about the direct relation between emotional stress and cancer. But the fact remains that under heavy mental stress, one does tend to drink more alcohol, smoke more cigarettes and eat more which can cause obesity. Probably, that is how mental stress is associated with cancer risk.
Managing stress and increasing your stress threshold, therefore becomes important. There are many ways to handle stress and you could try any or all of them to see which helps you the most, Meditation has proved to be very helpful to many people.
(B) Diet and cancer.
Last but probably the most important factor to prevent cancer is to have proper foods that can help prevent cancer. See to it that you get your regular intake of
- Whole grains,
- Fruits,
- Green leafy vegetables,
- Nuts,
- Limit your fat intake especially from animal foods.
A more detailed diet plan to prevent cancer has been explained in Diet to Prevent Cancer.
( C ) Screening to Prevent Cancer.
Cancer screening is advised for those who have a family history of cancer or are prone to get cancer. This will help in early detection which greatly increases chances of survival. Do read causes of cancer, which also explains the high risk factors that can cause cancer. If you are one who is associated with those risk factors, do take proper precautions and visit your doctor for cancer detection.
Your action step.
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