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Simple
Precautions Protect Against Many Cancers
By Meryl
Hyman Harris
HealthDay Reporter Mon Jul 17, 7:09 PM ET
MONDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) --
Nearly half of all cancer deaths are preventable.
That remarkable news comes with an equally stunning corollary -- the
key to success doesn't rest with some undiscovered therapies or
treatments. Much of cancer's toll can be reduced with simple
precautions, such as lifestyle changes and routine screenings.
But somehow that message isn't getting through to enough people.
"We can't beg people to change their behavior, to make the lifestyle
changes that we know will reduce cancer risk," said Carolyn "Bo"
Aldige, president of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, in
Alexandria, Va.
The biggest threat, of course, is smoking. "You'd have to live on
another planet not to know smoking causes cancer," Aldige said.
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in U.S. society.
Tobacco causes nearly one in five deaths in the United States, killing
about 438,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer
Society.
Yet, about 45 million adults still smoke -- about 23 percent of men and
19 percent of women.
Need more proof that much of cancer's misery is self-inflicted?
Experts estimate that about one in three of the 564,830 deaths from all
forms of cancer this year will be related to poor nutrition,
inactivity, overweight and obesity.
Research has shown that "excess calories cause the mutations that start
genes going down the pathways that cause cells to divide out of
control, and that's what cancer is," Aldige said. "If everybody today
magically had the appropriate body mass index, we'd start seeing a lot
less colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer," she said.
But there's a highly effective second line of defense against each of
these cancers and many others -- screenings. Doctors can test for these
cancers, as well as testicular, cervical and other kinds of
malignancies, and often catch them before they've gone too far. And
taking the tests usually requires little time and causes only minimal
discomfort.
Eventually, there will even be screenings for lung cancer, probably in
the form of "spiral CT" scanning, using special equipment to obtain
multiple cross-sectional images of the organs and tissues of the chest,
Aldige said.
Then there's melanoma, the deadly skin cancer that's on the rise. An
estimated 62,190 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed in the
United States this year, and 7,910 people will die of it, according to
the American Cancer Society.
But melanoma is highly curable if it's caught in its early stages. The
best way to do that: Check your own skin about once a month and become
familiar with the pattern of moles, freckles, and other marks so you'll
spot any changes. And a skin exam should be part of a routine cancer
checkup by a doctor or qualified health professional.
Many people know that too much sun causes skin cancer, and they use sun
block to protect themselves. But not many know that you need some sun
every day -- about 15 to 20 minutes' worth, especially younger people,
for vitamin D. The trick is to go out before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
during warm weather months, Aldige said.
Vitamins play an important role in cancer prevention as well, she said,
and eating properly and taking recommended supplements can help.
Yet, the overall problem isn't just one of people refusing to do what's
good for them, said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, program director of cancer
occurrence at the American Cancer Society.
"It is access to care," he said. "Recently, the federal government has
made access to breast and cervical cancer screenings available to
women. But a large percentage of the population is uninsured, and it is
a question of access and care," he said.
"We cannot completely prevent cancer," Jemal added, "but we can
substantially improve by doing the right thing."
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