From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com


Each year, more than 1 million people in the United States are given a diagnosis of cancer. Although it's a frightening and serious disease, you can take steps to reduce your risk — no matter what your age.

Here are six ways to help lower your chances of getting cancer:
Step 1: Don't use tobacco.
All types of tobacco can put you on a collision course with cancer. Not using tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. Avoiding tobacco in any form significantly reduces your risk of cancers of the lungs, esophagus, voice box (larynx), mouth, bladder, kidneys, pancreas and, in women, the cervix.

In the United States, cigarette smoking is the cause of about 90 percent of all cases of lung cancer — the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. It's also responsible for about a third of all cancer deaths. Every time you smoke a cigarette, you inhale dozens of substances (carcinogens) that can cause cells to become cancerous. Tar in smoke also forms a sticky brown layer on the lining of your lungs and air passages. This layer traps carcinogens you've inhaled.

Smoking cigars or using chewing tobacco isn't safe either. Compared with nonsmokers, cigar smokers have higher rates of lung cancer and are 4 to 10 times more likely to die of cancers of the larynx, esophagus and mouth. Chewing tobacco also increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, cheeks and gums.

Even if you don't smoke, reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke. Each year, about 3,000 nonsmokers die of lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

Step 2: Eat a variety of healthy foods.
Though making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't guarantee you won't get cancer, it can help reduce your risk. Research suggests that about 30 percent of cancers are related to issues of nutrition, including obesity.

The American Cancer Society recommends that you:
Choose most foods you eat from plant sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Also eat other foods from plant sources, such as grains and beans, several times a day. Plant foods contain dozens of minerals as well as fiber and other beneficial substances scientists are just discovering. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are excellent food choices that may reduce your risk of various cancers. And green and dark yellow vegetables, beans, soybean products and cruciferous vegetables — such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage — may help reduce your risk of colon and stomach cancers. Limit fat. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets may increase the risk of cancer of the prostate, colon, rectum and uterus.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. If you drink, do so in moderation. Your risk of cancer increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly. Even a moderate amount of drinking may increase your risk. That's true particularly if you smoke. The impact of alcohol and tobacco on your risk level may be even greater when they're used together, significantly increasing your risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus and larynx. Some studies also suggest that alcohol use could put you at greater risk of breast cancer.

If you're a man, drink no more than two alcoholic drinks a day. If you're a woman, drink one or fewer. Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol at all. Twelve ounces of regular beer counts as one drink or one alcohol serving. So does 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each of these contains about 14 grams of alcohol — about half an ounce.

Serving sizes: Keeping your food portions in check

Step 3: Stay active and maintain a healthy weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly also play roles in preventing cancer. Obesity may be a risk factor for cancers of the prostate, colon, rectum, uterus, ovaries and breast. Physical activity is an important part of controlling your weight. And it may lower your risk of some kinds of cancer, including breast cancer and colon cancer. Try to be physically active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. Your exercise session can include such low-key activities as brisk walking, raking the yard or even ballroom dancing. Safe exercise programs exist for just about everyone. Your doctor or physical therapist can help design one for you.

Why exercise?
Step 4: Protect yourself from the sun.
Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer — and one of the most preventable. Although repeated exposure to X-rays or contact with certain chemicals can play a role, sun exposure is by far the most common cause of skin cancer. Most skin cancer occurs on parts of the body that usually aren't covered with clothing when you go outside — your face, hands, forearms and ears. Nearly all skin cancer is treatable if detected early, but it's best to prevent it in the first place.

Try these tips:
Avoid peak radiation hours. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation is at its peak between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Minimize or avoid being outside during these hours.

Stay in the shade. If you go outside, minimize your sun exposure by staying in the shade.

Cover exposed areas. Wear light-colored, loosefitting clothing that protects you from the sun's rays. Use tightly woven fabrics that cover your arms and legs, and wear a broad-brimmed hat that covers your head and ears. Don't skimp on sunscreen. Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor of at least 15. Check the label to be sure it blocks out UVA and UVB radiation, two types of ultraviolet light that can damage your skin. And because the ingredients in some sunscreens might degrade, check for an expiration date. Make sure your sunscreen is waterproof if you'll be swimming, and reapply it regularly. And if you're allergic to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), an ingredient in many sunscreens, choose a sunscreen that doesn't contain PABA. Use generous amounts of sunscreen and reapply every 2 hours, especially if you're sweating or in the water.

Avoid reflective surfaces. Snow and water can reflect much of the sun's damaging rays.

Don't use indoor tanning beds or sunlamps. These can damage your skin as much as the sun. There's no such thing as a healthy tan.

Skin cancer
Step 5: Get screened.
Regular screening and self-examination for certain cancers increases your chances of discovering cancer early — when treatment is more likely to be successful. Screening should include your skin, mouth, colon and rectum. If you're a man it should also include your prostate and testes. If you're a woman, add your cervix and breasts. You can also examine yourself for cancers of the skin, breasts and testes. Be aware of changes in your body — this may help you detect cancer early, increasing your chances of successful treatment. If you're suspicious of changes, see your doctor.

Breast self-examination: An option for the early detection of cancer


Step 6: Consider other possible cancer-fighting strategies.

Research on other strategies — including the use of certain natural or synthetic substances (agents) — to fight cancer is ongoing. You may want to consider some of these strategies.

Some of the agents under investigation include:
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Commonly called designer estrogens, these drugs — such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and raloxifene (Evista) — may help decrease the risk of breast cancer in some high-risk women.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs, which include aspirin and ibuprofen, are being studied alone and in combination with other drugs for their potential to help protect against colon cancer.

Calcium. Calcium compounds also may reduce your risk of colon cancer. Taken in excessive amounts, however, calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer — so moderation is advised. Retinoids. These chemicals, which are similar to vitamin A, may help protect against cancers of the cervix, lungs, mouth and bladder.

Other cancer prevention strategies include being aware of risk factors in your home — such as radon gas — or where you work — such as radiation or certain industrial chemicals. Take steps to reduce exposure to these substances.

The value of these preventive strategies is becoming clearer. In addition to helping reduce your risk of cancer, most of them can also help you avoid other serious diseases including heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. Unfortunately, nothing guarantees a cancer-free life, but by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can increase your chances.

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