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Health 52
Info Tip:
Cancer and Lifestyle Choices
Today we have better medicines to battle cancer, more options for diagnosis
and treatment, and new technologies for early detection than ever before.
Yet, lifestyle choices that increase personal risk are often ignored. It is
undisputed that smoking-related cancer is the single most preventable cause
of death in the United States.
The American Cancer Society says that half of all people who continue to
smoke will die from smoking-related illness. Quitting immediately reduces
the risk.
The American Cancer Society also says that overweight and obesity are
clearly associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer for
postmenopausal women, plus colon and kidney cancers among others.
While genetics and ethnicity are risk factors that cannot be controlled (for
instance, African American men are more likely to get prostate cancer than
Whites or Hispanics), health screenings are the best way to detect cancer at
its earliest stages for the best route to a healthy recovery.
You can lower your risk by being active, eating a diet rich in fruits and
leafy vegetables and making common sense decisions when it comes to smoking
and tobacco products.
Sources: American Cancer Society, Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation,
New Haven Register
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