Cancer Tip Archives

3) Do NOT smoke. If you're one of the more than 40 million American smokers, you need to stop. Smoking is linked to at least three in 10 cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. That's more than 165,000 deaths a year.

4) Stay active. Inactivity and obesity are linked to cancer. Half an hour of exercise a day will significantly help your odds.

5) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society recommends at least five servings each day. In general, the most colorful fruits and vegetables have the most nutrients.

6) Limit the amount of red meat and processed meats in your diet, and make sure the meat you do eat is lean.

7) Avoid deep-fat frying. Instead, use low-fat cooking methods like roasting, baking, broiling, steaming or poaching. Also, choose low-fat or non-fat milk and yogurt.

9) Protect yourself in the sun. Wear sunscreen to limit your exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays.

10) Girls should get the HPV vaccine before they are sexually active to help prevent cervical cancer.

11) Tea for Tumors - Research shows one kind of tea can be up to 100 times more potent at blocking growth of cancer cells than another. While all tea (green, oolong or black) contains antioxidant compounds called catechins that protect against cancer (especially of the lung, breast, colon, stomach and skin) by neutralizing free radicals, green tea contains about 7 times more catechins than black tea. Green tea also has unique catechins that block an enzyme involved in breast, prostate and colon cancers. Green tea is 10 to 100 times stronger than black tea in blocking the growth of cancer cells. Catechins also prevent heart disease and stroke, primarily by defending against the harmful effects of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.

12) Vitamin E and Cancer - Vitamin E has been found to reduce cancer risk when consumed at recommended levels.

13) Watermelon and Cancer Prevention - Juicy, red watermelon is not only delicious, it may help prevent cancer. As long as you spit out the seeds, watermelon is the biggest supplier among fresh fruits and vegetables in the antioxidant lycopene, which is believed to play a big role in the prevention of the killer disease. Antioxidants such as lycopene work in your body by disarming free oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to the development of many cancers. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 15 - 20 milligrams of this vital plant pigment. Other sources include tomatoes, red grapefruits and guavas.

14) Breast Self-Examination (BSE) Technique - Breast Self-Examination (BSE) should be done every month.

When to do BSE:
* If you still menstruate (have your period) the best time is two or three days after your period ends. These are the days when your breasts are least likely to be tender or swollen.
* If you no longer menstruate, pick the same day of every month. It will be easy to remember.
* If you take hormones, check with your doctor about the best time for your BSE

15) Early Detection and Prevention of Colorectal Cancer - Colorectal cancer is very curable when found early and there are several things you can do to lower your risks:
* Eat at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.
* Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
* Have a digital rectal examination every year after age 40.
* Have a stool blood test every year after age 50.
* Have a flexible sigmoidoscopy at age 50, and then, after two normal examinations a year apart, every three to five years.
* If you are over 50 and notice blood in your stools, see your doctor immediately.

16) Skin Cancer Prevention
Skin cancer prevention tips:
* Avoid sun exposure and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
* If you must be out in the sun, always use protection: wear a long-sleeved shirt or cover-up, a hat that shades your face and sunglasses.
* Always wear sunscreen (with a sun protection factor of at least 15) on exposed body parts, even during the winter, when sun reflected off the snow may be intense. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes (or more) before going out in the sun.
* Avoid sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM when the sun's rays are their most fierce.
* Check your skin monthly for unusual moles or changes in existing skin markings, using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror to see your back. See a dermatologist if you notice any changes and for regular skin checkups.
* Don’t use sunlamps or tanning centers.

Self-Examination:
The best way to detect skin cancer early is to perform monthly self-examinations. First, count and plot your moles so that you can note any changes. Then, each month examine each part of your body using a full-length mirror and a hand mirror. Be sure to check the front, back, sides, forearms, upper underarms and palms, backs of legs and feet, including spaces between toes, the back of the neck and scalp, under the hair and the back and buttocks.

17) Wear hats with broad rims, shirts with long sleeves and tightly woven (moisture-wicking) clothing. Good clothing choices include dark colors and specially treated garments and bathing suits.

18) Try to limit the time you are in the sun, especially in the middle of the day when UV light is most intense.

21) Apply generously. Use at least one ounce to cover your body effectively. A palmful is best.

22) Reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming, sweating, vigorous activity or towel drying.

24) Wear sunglasses. Wrap-around sunglasses with at least 99% UV absorption protect your eyes the best.

We often associate breast cancer with a lump, but not every form of this disease appears as a lump. Inflammatory Breast Cancer has no lumps because it grows in sheets and nests. Because the symptoms often appear to be less threatening, IBC is often misdiagnosed. IBC is often mistaken for mastitis, and antibiotics are prescribed.

These conditions may look like IBC, but they are noncancerous and will respond to antibiotics and ointments:

infected milk ducts (mastitis)
rash on breast skin
bruise on breast skin

See Your Doctor for These Symptoms:

sudden growth in breast size
redness, rash, or bruised look of breast skin (persisting more than 10 days)
steady itching of breast skin or nipple
nipple pulling into aureola (retracted)
thickening of breast tissue or breast skin
breast skin appears rough like orange peel
very painful or sore breast
breast feels hot
swollen lymph nodes under your arm or above your collarbone

26) Try to have 30 min. of cardio per day 3 times per week... and make it fun! Powerwalk at the mall with a friend or join an Aerobics class / if you make exercise fun you will keep doing it.

27) Recipes - Substitute 1/2 of the white flour for 1/2 wheat flour to make it more cancer healthy & you don't sacrifice the taste!

28) In order to add more servings of fruit per day buy dried fruit and put them in your cereal. (i.e.: cherries)

29) As soon as you get used to exercising 3 days a week, try to increase your routine if you have time. It's good to work out 5 days a week if you can.

30) Try to consume 3 servings of whole grain a day. This is easy if you start with a whole grain cereal in the morning and switch your bread to whole wheat.

31) Another way to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet is to add them dried into grain-based dishes, like rice or couscous.

32) Vitamin E and Cancer - Vitamin E has been found to reduce cancer risk when consumed at recommended levels.

33) Avoid deep-fat frying. Instead, use low-fat cooking methods like roasting, baking, broiling, steaming or poaching. Also, choose low-fat or non-fat milk and yogurt.

34) Stay active. Inactivity and obesity are linked to cancer. Half an hour of exercise a day will significantly help your odds

35) Tips for Preventing Bladder Cancer - DON'T SMOKE, Smokers and former smokers (the risk never declines to completely normal) are more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as people who have never smoked. It is thought that cancer-causing compounds in tobacco smoke are absorbed into the blood and eventually collect in the urine, where they damage the cells lining the bladder. Drink enough fluid. Adequate intake of water and other fluids promotes urination and help to flush carcinogens from the bladder. The American Cancer Society recommends drinking several glasses of water or other nonalcoholic beverages a day.
Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables. A diet that routinely includes several weekly servings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables appears to be protective. Limit exposure to workplace chemicals. Chemicals used in the making of dyes, rubber, leather, textiles, printing materials, and paint products have been implicated in bladder cancer. Treat bladder infections. People with chronic or frequent infections have higher rates of bladder cancer than those who are not prone to such infections.

36) Tips for Preventing Uterine Cancer - Eating at least 15 grams of whole-grain fiber can cut your risk by almost a third. Also eat your five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, including at least 2 servings of fruit which will cut your risk in half. There are 7 major foods that help with female cancers: guava, brazil nuts, brown rice, cabbage, soy beans, purple grapes, and onions. Taking oral contraceptives for at least five years cuts your risk in half. Stop at one alcoholic drink and cut back on potato chips and fries.