
01 Feb Cancer Prevention Month: Avoiding the Big C
February is Cancer Awareness Month, and in this week’s PHMP Knowledgebase Article, we’re talking about the numerous proactive, preventative measures you can take to avoid cancer.
Preventable Causes of Cancer
Smoking
According to the American Association of Cancer Research, smoking is the leading cause of preventable cancer. Each year, 480,000 lives are lost due to smoking—and that’s not limited to just lung cancer. 1 2
Other cancers associated with smoking include:
- Kidney
- Ureter (the duct that transports urine from kidney to bladder)
- Bladder
- Ovary
- Cervix
- Nasal cavity
- Nasopharynx (upper part of throat, behind the nose)
- Oral cavity (mouth, gums, etc.)
- Oropharynx (middle of throat, behind the mouth)
- Hypopharynx (bottom of throat)
- Larynx (the voice box)
- Esophagus (duct that carries food from mouth to stomach)
- Stomach
- Liver
- Pancreas (vital to converting food into fuel)
- Colon
- Acute myeloid leukemia (bone marrow cancer) 3
Excess body weight
Your diet and exercise routines (or lack thereof) play large roles in your risk for cancer.
According to studies, roughly 20 percent of new cancer cases, and 16 percent of all cancer deaths are related to excess weight, bad diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. 4
Due to the nature of food—and the fact that most people don’t eat one meal of the same exact ingredients 3x day 7 days a week—diet is difficult to precisely pin to cancer. 5
However, one thing’s for certain: there are types of foods that simply aren’t healthy no matter what, and have clearer ties to the risk of getting cancer.
- Fast foods: over-processed junk food, high in fat, starch, sugars, and preservatives, all contribute to a unhealthy diet and weight gain—both of which vastly increase your risk of cancer.
- Sugary drinks: like fast foods, sodas and their brethren are loaded with nasty chemicals that aren’t doin’ you any good, no matter how you spin it.
- Red and processed meats: these foods are tied to the increased risk of colorectal cancers.
- Alcohol: limit your intake of booze, because alcohol is tied to six different types of cancer: colorectal, female breast cancer, head and neck cancers, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and stomach cancer.
Physical inactivity
If your body is healthy and fit, it is infinitesimally more capable of fighting against disease and illness.
Physical fitness results in drastically reduced cancer risks as well. 6
Cancer type |
Percentage of risk reduction |
---|---|
Bladder cancer | 15% |
Breast cancer | 12 to 21% |
Colon cancer | 19% |
Endometrial cancer | 20% |
Esophageal cancer | 21% |
Kidney cancer | 12% |
Stomach cancer | 19% |
Wrappin’ Up
We hope these links and bite-sized data-points gave you a better understanding of how many types of cancer are avoidable and, in some cases, how simple it may be to avoid them.
There will be more content related to National Cancer Awareness Month coming soon—stay tuned!
Glenn Raines
Posted at 13:19h, 14 FebruaryGreat information
Carol Burnett
Posted at 12:07h, 14 FebruaryThank you for all this information it’s very important to know about all the health risks and what you can do to prevent some situation thank you
Jenna Vrable
Posted at 16:18h, 11 FebruaryThank you
Grace+Ramos
Posted at 14:44h, 11 FebruaryThanks!
Monica+Doyle
Posted at 03:44h, 11 FebruaryInformative thank you!!!
Devan Wayne Robinson
Posted at 03:28h, 11 FebruaryThanks didn’t know that
Vida Saatsaz
Posted at 00:28h, 11 FebruaryThank you.
Kim Dunn
Posted at 23:43h, 10 FebruaryGood Topic to read up on
Allyson Fahy
Posted at 20:04h, 10 FebruaryEnjoyed learning about this
JESSICA DINWOODIE
Posted at 11:52h, 10 FebruaryGreat read!
Cora Escarcha
Posted at 21:40h, 09 FebruaryThank you
Sonia Brown
Posted at 13:18h, 09 FebruaryThank you so much for this information
Rathjen Dennis
Posted at 13:08h, 09 FebruaryThanks
Alicia Kaseta
Posted at 11:25h, 09 FebruaryThank you