We all want to live long lives without the threat of disease, especially cancer. But is cancer prevention possible? Actually, many different types of cancer, particularly some with the poorest prognoses, can be prevented — or at least the risk reduced — with simple lifestyle changes and precautions to keep your body healthy and protected from cancer. And stay on top of cancer information, as studies are published on a regular basis.
Cancer Prevention: Get Healthy
Bad habits are called bad habits for a reason — they can lead to serious health problems, like cancer. Here are some healthy lifestyle changes you should make to help prevent cancer:
  • Wear sunscreen every day. Skin cancer can turn into a bad prognosis quickly, but can easily be prevented with good skin care. That means protecting your skin from the sun by limiting exposure (staying in the shade, wearing long pants and long shirts) and by applying sunscreen every day, not just at the beach.
  • Quit smoking. Lung cancer is the most fatal type of cancer, and many lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Quitting smoking can also reduce your risk of developing stomach, cervical, pancreatic, larynx, throat, mouth, esophageal, and bladder cancers. If you reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke, you'll also reduce your cancer risk.
  • Stick to moderate alcohol consumption. Excess alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing cancers of the throat, mouth, and larynx, as well as breast, liver, and colon cancer. To help prevent cancer, it's best to enjoy alcohol only in small amounts on occasion; avoid drinking too much or too frequently.
  • Watch your diet. To help reduce your cancer risk, load up on plenty of plant-based foods, with at least five servings each day of fruits and vegetables. Opt for whole-grain foods — breads, pastas, and cereals — and limit red meat. Processed lunch meat, hot dogs, and the like should also be restricted for cancer prevention.
  • Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is linked to a number of different types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, endometrial, and prostate cancer. To keep your weight at a healthy level, follow the diet tips above and get plenty of regular exercise. 
Cancer Prevention: Get Vaccinated, Get Screened
There isn't a vaccination for most types of cancer, but there is one to help prevent cervical cancer. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil) protects against HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. Young women and girls may want to consider getting the HPV vaccine to help reduce their cervical cancer risk.
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Cancer screening can help you spot cancer early, preventing it from progressing to the later stages, when prognosis is poor. Routine screening tests available for detecting cancer include:
  • Mammograms for breast cancer
  • Colonoscopies for colon cancer at age 50 for most people — earlier if there is a family history, or if you have inflammatory bowel disease
  • Pap test for cervical cancer beginning within three years of first sexual activity or at age 21, whichever is sooner 
If you are at very high risk for certain types of cancer, like prostate, ovarian, lung, and skin cancer, there are some screening tests that your doctor may recommend. There is currently some disagreement among medical professionals about the value of annual prostate cancer screening as well as when mammograms should be started; you should check with your own doctor for recommendations that take into account family history and other personal factors.
A healthy lifestyle and the right cancer screenings can help reduce your risk for many types of cancer. Remember these simple steps for better health and cancer prevention.