CANCER PREVENTION

Cancer Protection is About Making Smart DecisionsBy: MIKE SELVON
*People taking action towards cancer protection by changing their diets and going to the doctor regularly have resulted in the latest statistics released by the American Cancer Society in January 2007 reporting that cancer deaths have gone down in the United States. Medical technology also offers state-of-the-art testing and screenings for various cancers, allowing patients to detect tumors in their earliest stages.
*There are several ways you can protect yourself from cancer. One way is to maintain a healthy diet. Diets including plenty of fruits and vegetables allow a person to receive the necessary vitamins linked with cancer protection. It is also important to include healthy fats found in olive, canola and sunflower oils.
* These are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to keep the heart healthy and prevent other deadly diseases. Limiting your intake of red meats is very important when it comes to a healthy diet. Instead, you should focus on including more lean proteins, such as chicken and fish.
* Other ways to improve your diet are to eat hearty whole grains found in certain breads, pastas and rice dishes. Make sure to always avoid fried foods that are high in trans-fats. Aside from a healthy diet, you can practice cancer prevention by taking certain supplements and vitamins. Vitamin E, selenium and lycopene have been connected with lowering a man's risk of developing prostate cancer.
* Fish oils have also been linked with preventing cancer of the prostate. There has even been research suggesting calcium supplements could help a person prevent colorectal cancer.Going to the doctor is important even if you are trying to lower your risk of cancer. Doctors can perform certain screenings to help protect you from a life-threatening disease.
* Women are recommended to start having yearly mammograms sometime after age forty. Younger women should have regular clinical breast exams performed by a physician or do breast exams at home to watch for abnormalities. Men and women should have a colonoscopy, beginning in their fifties, every ten years to watch for colorectal cancers.
*Men can protect themselves from prostate cancer by using certain chemoprevention drugs. These are man-made drugs or vitamins used specifically to suppress or prevent cancer. PSA tests or digital rectal exams are other methods available to men who are at high risk for prostate cancer.
*Discuss all the treatments and screenings available with your doctor to determine what you should do based on your personal and family medical history.Lifestyle is a major factor in your efforts at cancer protection. Smoking has been linked with several cancers, such as lung, prostate, bladder and breast cancer. It is imperative for smokers to quit this unhealthy habit because it will greatly reduce their risks of developing cancer.
*Doctors recommend women watch their alcohol consumption as part of breast and cervical cancer control. Other ways to improve your lifestyle is to work plenty of physical activity into your daily schedule. Whether you join a gym, buy a treadmill or play outside with your children, exercising is an important factor in cancer protection.Cancer protection could mean small changes or complete overhauls to daily routines, depending on your current lifestyle. Lowering your risk of cancer may include joining a gym or buying vitamins and dietary supplements.
* It could mean you have to quit smoking or using other tobacco products. Whatever change you make to your current situation will put you closer to living a healthy and cancer-free life.
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Educate Yourself About Breast Cancer PreventionBy: MIKE SELVON
*Breast cancer prevention is important for women to learn about, especially since breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. The American Cancer Society's web site reports that over two-hundred thousand women were diagnosed with this disease in 2006 and there are over two million women in the United States who have received treatment for breast cancer.
*With numbers this staggering, preventing cancer should be a priority for all women.Thanks to all the new treatments available to women, death rates from breast cancer have declined in the last several years.
*When deciding how to go about lowering your chances of developing breast cancer, you should consider your risk factors. A risk factor is something that can increase a person's risk of developing cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled but others are considered irrepressible. Uncontrollable risk factors are age, gender, family history, genetic make-up, race and even personal medical history.
*Lifestyle risks usually fall in the "controllable" category. These are things such as not exercising enough, being overweight, eating a diet high in fat, using birth control and smoking. It is important to take a look at your own lifestyle and family history to determine if you are susceptible to any of these risk factors.
*There are certain medications available to women who fall under high risk factors for breast cancer. The drug Tamoxifen has been used in the United States for over twenty-five years to help in the fight for breast cancer prevention. The drug is taken once daily as a pill and interferes with the female hormone estrogen, preventing it from attaching itself to cells in the breast tissue.
* This medication can also be used to treat women already diagnosed with breast cancer because it can slow down or cease the growth of cancerous cells. Tamoxifen has even been associated with helping prevent a recurrence in women who previously suffered from breast cancer.
*A more common way to prevent breast cancer is through mammograms. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and is the most common form of prevention. Women who are over forty years of age should get mammograms on a yearly basis. For women in their twenty's and thirty's, the American Cancer Society's web site recommends getting clinical breast exams at least every three years from a medical professional.
* This test is performed using the tips of the fingers to check the entire breast area and under the arm. In addition to mammograms and clinical breast exams, women should also perform breast self exams each month to recognize any signs of lumps or abnormalities in the tissue.
* The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is able to help women who fall within the lower poverty levels, are uninsured or underserved gain access to screenings for breast cancer. This program is called the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The CDC's web site touts it has served more than two million women under this program since its inception in 1991. In 2000, Congress expanded this service by opening it up to women who are on Medicaid.
* This breast cancer control act, formally titled the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, is a way to help women, who may have little access to quality health care, have a chance at breast and cervical cancer prevention. Breast cancer prevention can be a simple way to help you live a healthier life. Although not all risk factors are controllable, there are ways to help you recognize the warning signs of cancer. Be smart and know your body so you can live cancer free.
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Cancer Prevention Is Easier Than You ThinkBy: MIKE SELVON
*Cancer prevention is not like rocket science. It begins with taking a look at your lifestyle and deciding where to make changes. Change can be as simple as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet or it can mean putting down your pack of cigarettes for good. Whatever you choose to do as a means to ward off cancer, remember to tailor your prevention methods to fit your body.
*The first step in the fight against cancer is to take a look at your family history. The University of Texas' MD Anderson's Cancer Center web site reports that five to ten percent of cancer cases can come from a person's genetic make-up. The flip side of this statistic is that ninety percent of cancer cases can be controlled by the individual.
* If someone in your family has battled cancer, researchers are now able to perform specific tests to find out if you carry altered genes which can cause certain types of cancers. The responsibility of getting the necessary tests and screenings lies with the individual. Part of cancer prevention comes with heeding this responsibility and not ignoring the warning signs cancer gives to its victims.
* Research like this will help you to know if you should focus your efforts on breast and cervical cancer prevention or arthritis cancer prevention.Aside from genetics, the most important part of cancer prevention is eating a well-balanced diet. This means incorporating more fruits and vegetables, meats that are low in fat and plenty of heart-healthy whole grains into your diet.
* Certain vegetables, such as tomatoes and broccoli, carry antibodies that support cancer prevention of the prostate for men. If you can't eat all your servings at one sitting, try to snack on them throughout the day. And because today's society is surrounded by processed foods, reading nutrition labels is important when going to the store.
* Avoid foods that tend to be high in saturated fats, high fructose corn syrups and hydrogenated oils of any kind. Exercising may not be an activity you thoroughly enjoy, but it is important to find time as a way to prevent cancer. Medical research suggests doing some form of activity for at least half an hour several times a week to keep your body in good shape. To make exercising fun, find activities you enjoy such as hiking or gardening. Even simple tasks, like shopping at a mall, can be a form of physical activity.
* Being creative is the best way to keep your workouts fun and entertaining, leaving you less likely to forgo a brisk walk after dinner for the couch.Cancer prevention involves changing habits, especially the bad ones.
*The University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Research web site reports that 87 percent of lung cancer victims were smokers. The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation's fall 2006 newsletter conveyed that even second-hand smoke can increase a person's risk of heart disease by twenty-five to thirty percent and can increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer by twenty to thirty percent.
* More and more research comes out every year about the harmful affects of smoking, and stopping this degenerative habit is a crucial part in the fight against cancer. Cancer prevention means making significant lifestyle changes. Simple decisions, such as snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables, can help you find room for healthier food choices.
* Getting your family involved in exercising helps physical activity become more fun and less of a chore for your loved ones. Taking small steps towards big transformations will aid you in the fight against cancer and provide you with the opportunity to live a long and healthy life.
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