In the United States, 4 out of 10 cancer cases are associated with preventable risk factors. That's according to the American Association for Cancer Research's latest Cancer Progress Report. February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and Dr. John Ebert, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Addiction Center, says it's never too late to make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of cancer. To tell.
Watch: Prevent cancer with lifestyle changes
Journalists: Broadcast quality video (1:27) is available in the downloads at the end of this post. Courtesy: “Mayo Clinic News Network.” Please read the script.
What do tobacco, alcohol, and obesity have in common? They can all increase your risk of developing cancer. Smoking is strongly associated with cancer in almost every part of the body.
“Smoked cigarettes produce about 7,000 chemicals that, when inhaled, cause changes in cells, and it is these changes in cells that can cause cancer,” Dr. Ebert said. To tell.
Smoking also weakens the immune system, making it harder to fight cancer cells, he says. One of the best ways to lower your risk of cancer is not to smoke any kind of cigarettes.
“We always say it's never too late to quit smoking, and your risk of cancer, for example, goes down after you quit smoking. But it takes time,” Dr. Evert said. To tell.
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, and colorectal cancer.
“Although all levels of alcohol consumption have cancer risks, heavy drinkers have a higher risk of developing cancer than light drinkers,” Dr. Evert says.
Finally, gaining extra weight can increase your risk of cancer in several ways.
“Excess weight increases estrogen and insulin, which increases the rate of cell division and can increase the risk of cancer. But excess weight is also associated with inflammation, which can lead to the development of cancer. It's a known risk factor,” says Dr. Evert.
Bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce the risk of hormone-related cancers such as breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers, as well as pancreatic and colorectal cancers. However, there are not many drastic measures that people can take.
“When it comes to diet and exercise, small, sustainable steps toward weight loss are most effective. These are the classic approaches, but there are also new drugs on the market that can help you lose weight,” says Dr. Evert. say.
