When the Cleveland Clinic folks sent this story to me, the headline pulled me in. I hoped to see something on the list I haven’t heard about. Intermittent fasting? Apricot juice? Oxygen therapy?
My Dr. Bombay-treatment hopes aside (“Bewitched” fans understand the reference), the Clinic doctor’s advice was predictable, a little bit boring and exceedingly important. February is National Cancer Awareness Month, so the tips are not only timely but potentially life-saving. Cancer treatments have seen remarkable progress in recent years, yet cures are frustratingly difficult to find. Our best hope is to avoid the disease altogether. Here’s what can help.
-Marie Elium
You might be wondering if there are steps you can take to lower your cancer risk. According to a Cleveland Clinic oncologist, there are–and he recommends trying to avoid three things.
“Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and excess body weight–if you can avoid these three things in your lifetime, you can dramatically decrease the risk you’ll ever develop cancer,” explains Suneel Kamath, MD.
Dr. Kamath says that research shows almost half of all cancer deaths globally can be linked to preventable factors, with smoking, alcohol use and obesity being the leading contributors. While smoking carries the biggest risk, alcohol use and excess body weight can also increase the chances of developing many types of cancer.
When it comes to alcohol, Dr. Kamath says it’s best to avoid it altogether but cutting back on how much you drink can help, as well. And taking small steps toward maintaining a healthy weight can make a big impact down the road.
Dr. Kamath adds, it’s important to know your family health history and to bring it up to your doctor.
“When we talk about the screening guidelines making the news all the time, that’s always this middle bucket of average-risk people. And, of course, all of us assume that we’re average risk,” Dr. Kamath says. “However, in reality, if you have a family history of cancer, you’re in a high-risk category, and those same guidelines have a different set of things you should do if you’re high risk.”
Other ways to lower your risk include eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and wearing sunscreen. Dr. Kamath says that, while it’s impossible to completely prevent cancer, managing the factors you can control and discussing concerns with your doctor early can make a difference.
