Cancer is probably the most dreaded of all diseases. It is one of the leading killer overall, after heart disease. Thus cancer prevention is a goal that almost everyone would agree is worth achieving. The book, “Changing the Odds : Cancer Prevention Through Personal Choice and Public Policy,” by R. Grant Steen, gives us some tips to avoid cancer :
- Stop smoking.
- Learn your familial risk factors and be especially vigilant about those cancers that seem to run in your family.
- Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Decrease your consumption of red meat.
- Exercise at least three times per week, for at least 20 minutes each time.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis B virus if at all possible and avoid other viral exposures.
- Practice moderation in all things. Overuse or abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, and fast foods takes a very high toll in the modern world, as does overexposure to sunlight.
- Make a yearly visit to a physician if you are over 40 years old, and make a bi-annual visits if you are over 30 years old.
- Avoid unnecessary exposure to the hormones used in estrogen-replacement therapy.
- Learn the 10 warning signs of cancer. These include : (a) a swelling, thickening, or lump in any soft tissue, but especially the breasts; (b) persistent or unexplained coughing or hoarseness; (c) a sore that does not heal or a mole that abruptly changes in size or color; (d) unexplained fatigue; (e) abrupt weight loss or loss of appetite; (f) changes in bowel habits, including pain and bleeding on defecation, narrow stools, or constipation; (g) changes in urinary function, particularly bleeding or difficulty in discharge; (h) changes in menstrual function, especially unexpected or excessive bleeding; (i)difficulty in swallowing or a feeling of bloat or fullness; and (j) pallor or abnormal bleeding.
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