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Cancer is a complicated condition. It comes in many forms, affects many different parts of the body, and can arise in response to many different environmental variables—or sometimes, completely unprovoked. There’s still much we don’t understand about cancer, which is why it remains prevalent despite massive advancements in medical technology over the course of the past few decades.
Thankfully, organizations like the Rush University Cancer Center are working nonstop to improve our understanding of the disease. Even though we don’t fully understand the disease and have no way to completely prevent it, there are some controllable variables we can account for—and with cancer being so common, it pays to recognize and control those variables in your own life.
Cancer in Men
Some types of cancer are exclusive to or are especially common among men; prostate cancer, for example, will affect 12 percent of men over the course of their lives. Though nothing can completely eradicate your risk for cancer, there are some strategies that can help men mitigate their risk for various types of cancer—or at least stave off their development.
Cancer Prevention Strategies
Adopt these strategies in your life to lower your risk of developing cancer:
Avoid tobacco products.
Tobacco use is one of the most well-understood root causes of cancer, and preventing it is relatively easy. Chewing tobacco can lead to mouth and gum cancer, while smoking tobacco cigarettes can lead to lung cancer. As you might imagine, this risk increases the longer you use tobacco products, so even if you’ve used them for years, quitting now could drastically lower your eventual risk for developing cancer.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Many types of foods have different effects on cancer development; some are carcinogenic, and may increase your risk for cancer, such as red meats and certain types of processed foods. Most fruits and vegetables, however, can reduce your chances of developing cancer. Fibrous, leafy vegetables, for example, help you maintain stomach and esophageal health, reducing your risk of cancer in those areas. Other fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, are high in antioxidants, which eliminate free radicals in your body—which are known to accelerate cell mutations that can lead to cancer.
Work in a safe environment.
Certain environmental factors, such as exposure to radiation, asbestos, or harmful chemicals, can significantly increase your chances of getting cancer later in life, especially if you’re in that environment for your full-time position. Working in a safer environment will help you ensure your health for the long-term; that may mean following safety procedures more strictly, or transitioning to a new role entirely.
Exercise regularly.
The relationship between exercise and cancer isn’t fully understood, but there’s a clear correlation between a chronic lack of exercise and cancer development. Exercise is thought to regulate levels of hormones in the blood, which could affect cancer development, reduce body fat (which contributes to an increased cancer risk), and improve digestion, limiting exposure to dietary carcinogens.
Consume alcohol only in moderation.
There’s nothing wrong with having a beer or a glass of wine on occasion, but consuming alcohol frequently or in large amounts can put too much stress on your liver. Liver cancer is associated with alcoholism, and is largely preventable. Keep your alcohol consumption in moderation, limiting yourself to a couple drinks at a time, and only once or twice a week.
Wear sunscreen and limit your sun exposure.
Prolonged exposure to sunlight (and the ultraviolet radiation that comes with it) will increase your chances of developing skin cancer. This risk increases with the amount of time you spend exposed, and if you’re exposed completely unprotected. To mitigate this risk, wear sunscreen and/or skin-covering clothing when you spend more than an hour or two outside.
Avoid polluted areas.
Smoke, exhaust, and other environmental pollutants can have a drastic impact on your overall health, increasing your risk for lung cancer and other forms of cancer. Again, the longer you’re exposed, the higher your risk will rise. If you live in a polluted area, such as a dense urban center, it may be in your best interest to move. Working to reduce the amount of pollution your city emits may help as well, but environmental policy changes are generally slow and unpredictable.
As an added bonus, most of these habits will improve your overall health, giving you more energy and helping you feel more satisfied in body and mind. However, your work doesn’t end there. In combination with these strategies, be sure to schedule regular checkups with your physician—especially as you advance in age. Cancer can develop at any time, but the sooner you identify its existence, the greater chance you’ll have at survival and recovery.
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