Lifestyle, environment and heredity, alone or in combination, help determine cancer risk. The way you live your life, such as choosing to smoke or not eating a healthy diet, can have the greatest impact on your risk. More than 70 percent of all cancers may be related to personal behaviors and habits.
Since you have the ability to change and control your behavior, you also have the ability to reduce your risk for cancer. Both outright prevention and early detection require that you assume greater responsibility for your health and that you work actively in partnership with health care professionals to make personal choices and decisions that may positively influence your destiny.
Cancer prevention and early detection can be extremely successful. Nearly all cancers of the lung, bladder, mouth and skin could be avoided by eliminating tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption and unprotected exposure to sunlight. It is estimated that cigarette smoking alone is responsible for 30 percent or more of all cancer deaths. Food can be both a friend and foe when it comes to cancer. Risk may be reduced by increasing consumption of foods rich in beta-carotene and fiber that may have the ability to prevent certain cancers, while limiting high-fat foods that may promote some cancers.
Early detection can save lives because treatment can begin promptly at a more curable stage. Many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, cervix , skin, prostate, testes and mouth, can be detected early through routine screening procedures and self-examinations. It is up to you to follow the recommended guidelines for cancer screening and report any suspicious symptoms to your physician.
