It’s estimated that two million Americans were diagnosed with cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) last year and that more than 600,000 died from their disease. Studies shows that at least 40% of these cases and nearly half of the deaths can be attributed to preventable causes, such as smoking, excess body weight, physical inactivity, and excessive exposure to the sun.
This means that these types of actions can dramatically reduce your risk of cancer in many cases. It’s important that all of us engage in effective, evidence-based practices that reduce modifiable cancer risk factors for everyone.
How Can I Reduce My Cancer Risk or Detect Cancer Early?
These are a number things that you can do to help decrease your risk of cancer and assist in early detection:
- Know Your Family Medical History. Share your family history with your health care provider so they have a full picture of your medical background.
- Don’t Use Tobacco. The use of cigarettes, cigars, hookah, chewing tobacco, and other tobacco products has been linked to many types of cancer, such as lung, colorectal, breast, throat, cervical, bladder, and mouth and esophageal cancers.
- Protect Your Skin From the Sun. Skin cancer is the most common and the most preventable cancer diagnosis in the United States, as exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation causes most skin cancers.
- Eat a Plant-Based Diet. Eat healthily with a diet that includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains; limit your intake of red meat and foods high in salt; and eliminate processed meats.
- Restrict Your Use of Alcohol. The consumption of alcohol is linked to several cancers, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, oral and liver cancers.
- Keep a Healthy Weight and Get Physically Active. Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of colorectal, breast and endometrial cancers; plus, there’s evidence that also links it to reducing the risk of other cancers.
- Practice Safer Sex. Certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer and at least four other types of cancer.
- Get Your HPV and Hepatitis B vaccinations. These shots can protect you from certain viruses that are linked to certain cancers.
Follow Up!
Another critical practice is to follow-up on test results with providers so a cancer diagnosis isn’t missed. The National Cancer Institute says that screening tests like mammography and low-dose CT scans can catch cancers early only when those with abnormal results return for the necessary follow-up testing. Make certain that if you have abnormal results, you return to the doctor for additional testing in a timely fashion.
Some people delay going in for additional testing because they want to avoid a painful biopsy or they’re afraid of receiving a potentially life-altering diagnosis. Others may face obstacles like a lack of insurance coverage, difficult work schedules, or lack of childcare that prevent them from getting to the doctor’s office. But it’s important to make time for this critical follow-up.
The Cleveland Clinic explains that cancer blood tests are one of the many tools that healthcare providers use to diagnose and stage malignancies (cancerous growths). These tests can provide valuable information about your overall health, organ function and potential disease—however, you’ll need additional tests to get a full understanding of your diagnosis. These additional tests may include:
- Biopsy. This is a quick procedure where the doctor takes a small sample of tissue (from an organ or bone marrow) and sends it to a lab for analysis.
- Imaging tests. These tests include X-rays, CT (computed tomography) scans, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, or PET (positron emission tomography) scans which can help locate and stage tumors.
- Specialized tests. Other specialized tests are sometimes needed and include a mammogram to help diagnose breast cancer, a Pap smear to detect cervical cancer, or the Galleri test, which is a specialized blood test that can detect over 50 different types of cancer using DNA sequencing.
Takeaway
Many individuals don’t experience the signs or symptoms of cancer until it’s reached an advanced stage. But there’s no need to wait for symptoms to check your health with comprehensive cancer screening tests. With routine screening and follow-up, you can detect cancer early (before signs or symptoms appear). Early detection means better outcomes, doctors say, and the early detection of cancer can mean less extensive treatment, more treatment options, and better chances of survival.
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