People typically think that genetics or inevitable environmental factors cause cancer, but lifestyle choices are also very important. A lot of everyday practices that people don’t think about can raise your risk of getting cancer. You can lower this risk a lot by making minor changes to your daily routine.
Smoking Cigarettes
Cigarette smoking is still one of the most common causes of cancer around the world. Nicotine and formaldehyde are two of the toxic compounds in tobacco that are known to cause cancer. They destroy cells and raise the risk of lung and throat cancers. The American Cancer Society says that smoking causes around 30% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. (American Cancer Society, 2020).
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Drinking alcohol can hurt your mouth, throat, and liver, which can make you more likely to get cancers like breast, colon, and liver cancer. According to research from the World Cancer Research Fund, drinking alcohol increases the incidence of certain malignancies, especially in women (World Cancer Research Fund, 2021).
Poor Diet and Obesity
Bad Eating Habits and Being Overweight Obesity, which is a major risk factor for cancer, can be caused by a diet high in processed foods and red meats. The American Institute for Cancer Research says that being overweight raises the chance of 13 forms of cancer, such as breast and colon cancer (American Institute for Cancer Research, 2018).
Lack of Physical Activity
Being inactive raises the risk of cancer because it makes people overweight and weakens their immune systems. According to the World Health Organization, being inactive is the cause of millions of cancer cases over the world, especially breast and colon cancer (World Health Organization, 2020).
Exposure to Sunlight and Tanning Beds
Sunlight and tanning beds are two things that might hurt your skin. Getting too much UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds can hurt your skin and raise your risk of skin cancers like melanoma. The American Academy of Dermatology says that UV radiation is a primary cause of skin cancer because it damages DNA in skin cells (American Academy of Dermatology, 2021).
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress can weaken the immune system and lead to harmful habits like smoking or overeating, which can raise the risk of cancer. According to Cancer Research UK (2020), stress-induced hormone imbalances can help cancer gro
Exposure to Environmental Toxins
Being around harmful substances like benzene and asbestos for a long time can make you more likely to get different kinds of cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), diesel exhaust and formaldehyde are both cancer-causing substances (IARC, 2019).
Inadequate Sleep
Not getting enough sleep makes the immune system weaker and increases the chance of acquiring cancer. A study published in JAMA Oncology found a link between poor sleep quality and a higher risk of breast and colon cancer (National Sleep Foundation, 2020).
Not Getting Regular Screenings
If you don’t have cancer testing, you might not find out about the condition until it’s too late, when treatment doesn’t work as well. The American Cancer Society argues that getting screened regularly is particularly crucial for identifying cancer early, which considerably raises the odds of survival (American Cancer Society, 2021).
You can minimize your risk of having cancer by making sensible choices about your health, such quitting smoking, drinking less, and staying active. You need to know these things to live a healthier life.
Conclusion
Choosing how to live your life wisely is the best way to lower your risk of cancer. You can greatly lower your risk of getting cancer by quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, keeping a healthy weight, staying active, avoiding too much sun, managing stress, avoiding environmental toxins, getting enough sleep, and going to regular screenings. Making small changes to your daily routine can have a big effect on your health and happiness.
References:
American Academy of Dermatology. (2021). Skin cancer: The facts. American Academy of Dermatology. https://www.aad.org
American Cancer Society. (2020). Cancer facts & figures 2020. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics.html
American Institute for Cancer Research. (2018). Obesity and cancer. American Institute for Cancer Research. https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/obesity-and-cancer/
Cancer Research UK. (2020). Cancer and stress. Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/stress
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). (2019). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. IARC. https://monographs.iarc.fr
National Cancer Institute. (2020). Alcohol and cancer. National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol
National Sleep Foundation. (2020). Sleep and cancer. National Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-and-health/cancer
World Cancer Research Fund. (2021). Alcohol and cancer risk. World Cancer Research Fund. https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/alcohol-and-cancerWorld Health Organization. (2020). Physical activity and cancer. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
