How to prevent cancer?

1. Don't use tobacco

Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has
been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat,
larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Chewing tobacco has been linked to
cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don't use tobacco, exposure to
secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.
Avoiding tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is one of the most important health
decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention. If you need
help quitting tobacco, ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies
for quitting.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Although making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't
guarantee cancer prevention, it might help reduce your risk. Consider these guidelines:
  Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other
foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans.
 Avoid obesity. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods,
including refined sugars and fat from animal sources.
 If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation.The risk of various
types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver —
increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been
drinking regularly.
 Limit processed meats. A report from the International Agency for Research on
Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, concluded that eating
large amounts of processed meat can slightly increase the risk of certain types of
cancer.
In addition, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive
oil and mixed nuts might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet
focuses on mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains,
legumes and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, like
olive oil, over butter and fish instead of red meat.

3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active

Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including
cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.
Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical
activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
Adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits. But
for substantial health benefits, strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate
aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity. You can also
do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. As a general goal, include at least
30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even
better.

To avoid cancer you need to;

1. eat a healthy, balanced diet.
2. maintain a healthy weight.
3. stay physically active.
4. drink less alcohol.
5. stop smoking.
6. protect your skin from sun damage.
7. know your body
 You can prevent cancer;
1. by knowing what’s in your food.

2. by how active you are.

3. by what you put in your mouth.

4. by what you slather on your skin.

5. by not consuming a lot of fed meat.

6. by watching what you drink.

7. by reducing stress.

How to avoid cancer?

- Don’t smoke or use any other tobacco products. If you’ve tried to quit before, don’t
give up — eventually something will work.

- Get screened for cancer regularly (colon, breast, prostate, cervix and skin should be
tested — ask your doctor for intervals and age at which to start). Finding cancer early
can greatly increase your chance for a cure and reduce your risk of dying from the
disease.

- Keep your alcohol consumption low. This means no more than two drinks per day for
men and one drink per day for women. Keeping your alcohol intake to the minimum
daily level doesn’t mean that you can “save up” all your drinks for a week and binge on
Friday night with your weekly “allotment.”

- Protect your skin from the sun. Use sunscreen every time you go outdoors (preferably
one with an SPF of 30 or higher that protects against both UVA and UVB rays). Keep
covered with a broad hat and sunglasses.

- Keep a physically active lifestyle. You don’t need to be an athlete to get the benefit of
exercise. Activities such as brisk walking, biking, dancing or any exercise that raises
your heart rate and makes you sweat will be beneficial.

- Keep your weight in the normal range for your height. That means keeping to a body
mass index (BMI) of 25 or less. (You can calculate you BMI with online calculators). Try
to stay within 5 to 10 pounds of what you weighed at age 18.

- Avoid taking menopausal hormone therapy. If you need to take hormones, limit your
use to less than five years.

- Consider taking medications, after consulting a doctor, for reducing cancer risk. There
are several medications that have been tested and found effective for reducing risk for
cancer.

- Avoid exposures to cancer-causing substances. Radiation exposures and some

chemicals are known to cause cancer.

- Eat a cancer-risk-reducing diet. The role of diet in cancer is far from established, but
research suggests that a plant-based diet is associated with reduced risks for several
cancers, especially for colon cancer. Guidelines include: Keep your intake of red meat
to no more than 4 ounces of red meat (about the size of a deck of cards) per day on
average; avoid processed meats such as sausages and bologna; eat a variety of non-
starchy vegetables and fruits every day, at least five servings; and minimize your intake
of sugared drinks, juices, desserts and candies, refined breads and bagels, and chips.

- Don’t smoke or use any other tobacco products. If you’ve tried to quit before, don’t
give up — eventually something will work.

- Get screened for cancer regularly (colon, breast, prostate, cervix and skin should be
tested — ask your doctor for intervals and age at which to start). Finding cancer early
can greatly increase your chance for a cure and reduce your risk of dying from the
disease.
 Cancer Prevention
1. Avoid tobacco in
all its forms, including exposure to secondhand smoke.

2. Eat properly. Reduce your consumption of saturated fat and red meat, which appears
to increase the risk of colon and prostate cancers. Limit your intake of charbroiled foods
(especially meat), and avoid deep-fried foods. Increase your consumption of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains. Although other reports are mixed, two large 2003 studies
found that high-fiber diets may reduce the risk of colon cancer. And don't forget to eat
fish two to three times a week; you'll get protection from heart disease, and you may
reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

3. Exercise regularly. Physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer,
and it may even help prevent prostate cancer. Exercise also appears to reduce a
woman's risk of breast and possibly reproductive cancers. Exercise will help protect you
even if you don't lose weight.

4. Stay lean. Obesity increases the risk of many forms of cancer. Calories count; if you
need to slim down, take in fewer calories and burn more with exercise.

5. If you choose to drink, limit yourself to one to two drinks a day. Excess alcohol
increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe),
liver, and colon; it also increases a woman's risk of breast cancer. Smoking further
increases the risk of many alcohol-induced malignancies.
6. Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. Get medical imaging studies only when you
need them. Check your home for residential radon, which increases the risk of lung
cancer. Protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, which increases the risk of
melanomas and other skin cancers. But don't worry about electromagnetic radiation
from high-voltage power lines or radiofrequency radiation from microwaves and cell
phones. They do not cause cancer.

7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins such as asbestos fibers,

benzene, aromatic amines, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer, including hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the
human papillomavirus. Many are transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.

9. Consider taking low-dose aspirin. Men who take aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs appear to have a lower risk of colon cancer and possibly prostate
cancer. It's an unproven benefit, and aspirin can produce gastric bleeding and other
side effects, even in low doses. On the plus side, though, low-dose aspirin does protect
men from heart attacks and the most common type of stroke; men at the highest risk
reap the greatest benefits.

10. Get enough vitamin D. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, a goal
that's nearly impossible to attain without taking a supplement. Although protection is far
from proven, evidence suggests that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of prostate
cancer, colon cancer, and other malignancies. But don't count on other supplements.
Careful studies show that selenium, vitamins C and E, beta carotene, folic acid, and
multivitamins are not protective, and that some may do more harm than good.

These lifestyle changes will yield another cancer-preventing benefit: if you stay healthy,
you won't need cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, drugs that suppress
the immune system) that have the ironic side effect of increasing the risk of additional
cancers.

As always, prevention is the best medicine.

 Cancer prevention
1. Don’t smoke.
2. Maintain healthy weight.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Eat a healthy diet.
5. Protect yourself from sun.
6. Protect yourself from infections.
7. Get screening test regularly.
How to avoid cancer?

1. Filter your tap water

You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and hormone-disrupting
chemicals. A new report from the President's Cancer Panel on how to reduce exposure to
carcinogens suggests that home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water, whose
quality often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that of municipal sources,
according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. (Consumer Reports' top picks
for faucet-mounted filters: Culligan, Pur Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.) Store water in
stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from
plastic bottles.
2. Stop topping your tank
So say the EPA and the President's Cancer Panel: Pumping one last squirt of gas into your
car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump's vapor recovery system,
designed to keep toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they
can come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.
3. Marinate meat before grilling
Processed, charred, and well-done meats can contain cancer-causing heterocyclic amines,
 which form when meat is seared at high temperatures, and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, which get into food when it's charcoal broiled. "The recommendation to cut
down on grilled meat has really solid scientific evidence behind it," says Cheryl Lyn Walker,
PhD, a professor of carcinogenesis at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
If you do grill, add rosemary and thyme to your favorite marinade and soak meat for at least
an hour before cooking. The antioxidant-rich spices can cut HCAs by as much as 87%,
according to research at Kansas State University.
30 Ways to cancer-proof your life.
4. Caffeinate every day
Java lovers who drank 5 or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 40% decreased risk
of brain cancer, compared with people who drank the least in a 2010 British study. A 5-cup-
a-day coffee habit reduces risks of cancers of the pharynx and mouth almost as much.
Researchers credit the caffeine: Decaf had no comparable effect. But coffee was a more
potent protector against these cancers than tea, which the British researchers said also
offered protection against brain cancer.
1. You get the biggest health benefit out of fruits and vegetables when you eat lots of different kinds. Yet
most of us derive cancer-fighting phytonutrients from a handful of tried-and-true standbys that aren't
always the most potent sources, according to a study presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology
meeting, an annual gathering hosted by several research organizations. Typical choices and better
substitutes:
 Cancer fighter: Beta-carotene
Usual source: Carrots
Better source: Sweet potatoes have double the beta-carotene of carrots.
 Cancer fighter: Beta-cryptoxanthin
Usual source: Oranges
Better source: One serving of papaya has 11 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than an orange and 6 times
more than a cup of orange juice.
 Cancer fighter: Lutein/zeaxanthin
Usual source: Spinach
Better source: Cooked kale has 7 times the lutein/zeaxanthin of raw spinach.
 Cancer figher: Ellagic acid
Usual source: Strawberries
Better source: Fresh raspberries have 3 times more ellagic acid than strawberries do.
 Cancer fighter: Glucosinolates
Usual source: Broccoli
Better source: A half cup of brussels sprouts contains 4 times more of these cancer-curbing compounds
than the same amount of broccoli.
5. Water Down Your Risks
Drinking plenty of water and other liquids may reduce the risk of bladder cancer by diluting
the concentration of cancer-causing agents in urine and helping to flush them through the
bladder faster. Drink at least 8 cups of liquid a day, suggests the American Cancer Society.
6. Load up on really green greens
Next time you're choosing salad fixings, reach for the darkest varieties. The chlorophyll that
gives them their color is loaded with magnesium, which some large studies have found
lowers the risk of colon cancer in women. "Magnesium affects signaling in cells, and without
the right amount, cells may do things like divide and replicate when they shouldn't," says
Walker. Just ½ cup of cooked spinach provides 75 mg of magnesium, 20% of the daily
value.
8. Head off cell phone risks
Use your cell phone only for short calls or texts, or use a hands-free device that keeps the
phone—and the radio frequency energy it emits—away from your head. The point is more to
preempt any risk than to protect against a proven danger: Evidence that cell phones
increase brain cancer risk is "neither consistent nor conclusive," says the President's Cancer
Panel report. But a number of review studies suggest there's a link.
9. Block the sun with color
Choosing your outdoor outfit wisely may help protect against skin cancer, say Spanish
scientists. In their research, blue and red fabrics offered significantly better protection
against the sun's UV rays than white and yellow ones did. Don't forget to put on a hat:
Though melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, it's more common in areas the sun
hits, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have found that people
with melanomas on the scalp or neck die at almost twice the rate of people with the cancer
on other areas of the body.
10. Eat clean foods
The President's Cancer Panel recommends buying meat free of antibiotics and added
hormones, which are suspected of causing endocrine problems, including cancer. The report
also advises that you purchase produce grown without pesticides or wash conventionally
grown food thoroughly to remove residues. (The foods with the most pesticides: celery,
peaches, strawberries, apples, and blueberries.) "At least 40 known carcinogens are found in
pesticides and we should absolutely try to reduce exposure," Sellers says.