Posted on: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Reduce the odds of getting cancer
Gannett News Service
Women cite cancer as their biggest health concern, and with good reason: The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.4 million Americans were diagnosed with invasive cancer last year.
Research is continually showing that lifestyle habits can have a major impact on your chances of developing this dreaded disease. Getting the right screenings at the right time is also crucial, because catching the disease in its early stages makes all the difference in survival rates.
Woman's Day magazine has sorted through the latest research and talked to top experts to find out what you can do to reduce your chances of developing cancer.
Stay at a healthy weight: While between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy BMI, the lowest cancer risk has been found among people with a BMI of 23 or less.
Limit the vino: Alcohol ups your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver and breast. Regularly consuming even a few drinks a week is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in women. If you do imbibe, limit it to no more than one drink a day.
Put sunscreen on before you get in the car: There's a higher incidence of left-sided skin cancers in drivers because the side and rear windows are made from glass that allows UVA rays to penetrate.
Breastfeed: Some research has shown that having your first child after age 25 is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but a recent University of Southern California study found that breastfeeding can help mitigate that risk.
Add 10 minutes of walking each day: That's all you need to start slashing your breast cancer risk. Step it up and you'll fare even better: Studies show that 45 to 60 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week offers strong protection against breast and colon cancer.
