Don’t smoke or chew and avoid secondhand smoke. If no American used tobacco, cancer rates would fall by about one third.
Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many cancers, including that of the breast and colon.
Consume a healthy diet, with emphasis on plant sources. Eat at least nine servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day. Choose whole grains as much as possible. Limit your intake of processed and red meat.
Stay physically active: This not only helps with weight control, but may also reduce the risk of some cancers in other ways.
Limit sun exposure and use sunscreen.
If you drink alcohol, consume no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman, or two per day if a man. Alcohol increases the risk of breast, colon, liver, stomach, and oral cancers.
Get screened. Talk to your doctor about when and how often. The tests include mammograms and Pap smears for women, prostate screening for men, and colonoscopy for all adults.
Young women should get the new HPV vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer. Children, adolescents, and high-risk adults should get the hepatitis B vaccine to help prevent liver cancer.
Tags: diets with emphasis on plant sources, healthy diet, limit sun exposure, maintain healthy weight, secondhand smoke
