When it comes to preventing cancer, your best defense may be common sense: Up to 40% of cancers are caused by "lifestyle behaviors" like smoking, eating too much, and not exercising, according to a 2011 study in The British Journal of Cancer. "Most lung cancers are related to smoking. Most skin cancers are related to sun exposure. Most cervical cancers are related to HPV," says Gregory Masters, MD, an attending physician at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Newark, Delaware. "Genetics, on the other hand, are related to a fairly small number of cancers, maybe 10 to 15%." As such, he says, "focusing on healthy behaviors is the most effective way to lower your risk of cancer." Here, 8 ways to boost your chances of staying disease-free.
1. Absolutely, positively, do not smoke
( PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRK MASTIN/GETTY IMAGES )
This is a no-brainer, but ditching the cigarettes is key when it comes to preventing cancer of all kinds. Smoking accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths, and lung cancer in particular kills more Americans than any other type. "Avoiding tobacco is one of the best ways to decrease your risk of cancer," says Masters. Even cutting back from 20 to less than 10 cigarettes per day reduced smokers' lung cancerrisk by 27%, according a 2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "The less smoke exposure you have," says Masters, "the better." You can get help with quitting at smokefree.gov.
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