Mark Prince, M.D., Assistant Professor, Head and Neck Oncology explains the importance of eliminating tobacco use.

Cancer Prevention Information

What you can do -- NOW -- to reduce your risk of cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, there is strong evidence that an individual's risk of developing cancer can be substantially reduced by healthy behavior:

not using tobacco
getting sufficient physical activity
eating healthy foods in moderation
participating in cancer screenings according to recommended guidelines

The going to a new website American Cancer Society estimates that tobacco use accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. In addition, approximately one-third of cancer deaths in 2012 were attributed to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity. If we can effectively promote healthy behaviors, much of the suffering and death from cancer can be prevented or reduced.

Source: American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures - 2012 [PDF]

Who can get cancer?

Anyone can get cancer. One of the biggest factors that can make a person more likely to get cancer is age: 3 out of 4 cancers are found in people aged 55 or older. But there are many other factors that affect cancer risk and some of them can be changed. It is only natural that people are looking for more ways to prevent cancer.

Can cancer be prevented?

Sometimes cancer can be prevented. Looking at the whole country, it is quite possible that more than half of cancer deaths could be prevented -- if no one used tobacco and if everyone took steps to improve their health. Of course, that is a big "if."

But is there a way to guarantee that you or your loved ones won't get cancer? So far, nothing has been found that is proven to prevent every case of cancer. There are ways to prevent many cases of cancer in large groups of people. And there are things you can do as an individual that might reduce your chances of getting cancer. If cancer does develop, doctors also use early detection tests to improve the odds that it will be found at an early stage when it is easier to treat. But, as of today, even the best methods of reducing your chances of getting cancer (called cancer risk reduction) cannot prevent all cancers.

Source: American Cancer Society going to a new website Learning About New Ways to Prevent Cancer