Are You Healthier Than You Think?

What steps you don't need to take to prevent cancer.

<< Back to Articles

> PDF Version

Quick & Simple

Every once in a while, the idea flirts through your head: It’s time to make some changes to protect yourself against cancer. Learn, perhaps, to take calming yogic breaths when your boss is bugging you. Maybe even drink green tea. Guess what? You don’t have to! Not to prevent certain types of cancer, anyway. Many notions about what causes the disease have just been debunked. Read on for the latest.

Stress: Cause Cancer? Many people believe that stress contributes to cancer, but a recent study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, found no association between stressful events in the previous five years and a diagnosis of breast cancer. Researchers are, however, still looking into how stress affects the success of cancer treatment.

Fiber: Cancer Preventer? A 16-year study of nearly 90,000 nurses found no difference in the occurrence of colorectal cancer between those who ate a lot of fiber and those who ate a little. "The message is clear that fiber doesn’t offer a protective effect," says lead author Charles Fuchs, M.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. But this is not a reason to stop eating your veggies and other high-fiber foods: "They’re known to lower your risk of heart disease and improve your digestive functioning."

Green Tea: Cancer Stopper? One small study found that green tea reduced breast cancer risk, but larger studies say that green tea has no effect. The story is the same for prostate cancer. After a rigorous review of studies, the FDA announced that it is "highly unlikely" that green tea cuts breast or prostate cancer risk and therefore denied a labeling request touting green tea’s cancer-fighting properties.

The Best Strategy You don’t need to "run marathons or eat rhubarb every day" to prevent cancer, says Dr. Fuchs. "Simple lifestyle changes are your best bet to reduce risk." The doctor’s top tips:

• EXERCISE TO KEEP YOUR WEIGHT DOWN. Research does show a strong link between excess weight and kidney, esophageal, prostate, endometrial, colon and postmenopausal breast cancers.
• DON’T SMOKE. If you smoke, quit. Enough said.
• INCREASE YOUR FOLIC ACID INTAKE by taking a daily multivitamin and eating fruits and veggies. The vitamin has been shown to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
• LIMIT ALCOHOL INTAKE TO ONE DRINK A DAY. Excessive drinking raises the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx and esophagus, as well as liver, colon and breast cancers.
• And most important of all, KEEP UP WITH AGE-APPROPRIATE CANCER SCREENINGS, such as regular Pap tests and screenings for breast, colon and skin cancers (see below). Screenings can help doctors catch cancer when it’s most treatable, or lead to procedures (such as the removal of a mole) that help keep cancer from developing.

Q&S TIPS:

Get a regular Pap test—it works! Deaths from cervical cancer have dropped by 70 percent since the introduction of the test more than 50 years ago.

Take a Test! "It is so much easier, cheaper and safer to prevent a heart attack or detect and treat cancer if you catch the symptoms early on," says Marie Savard, M.D., author of The Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness. How to do that? Make sure you are up to date with the screening tests listed here.

• ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF 18 with normal blood pressure should have it checked by a doctor every two years. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may suggest more frequent testing.
• The American Heart Association recommends that ADULTS AGE 20 AND OLDER have a fasting cholesterol and glucose screening test at least once every five years. Also, you should have your waist circumference measured to see if you are at increased risk for diabetes and heart disease.
• STARTING AT AGE 20, men and women should have a full skin-cancer screening by a doctor every three years.
• EVERYONE OVER AGE 50 should be screened for colon cancer—earlier if you have a family history. Depending on your risk, your doctor may suggest the following: a yearly stool blood test, a colonoscopy every 10 years or a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.
• WOMEN should have a Pap smear and pelvic exam every one to three years, beginning three years after they first become sexually active or by the age of 21. Women age 30 and over should ask to have both a Pap test and an HPV test to determine whether they are at risk for cervical cancer.
• WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF 40 should have a clinical breast exam and a mammogram each year, according to the American Cancer Society. (Women over the age of 20 should have a clinical breast exam every three years.)
• Bone mineral density tests are a smart option for WOMEN OVER 40. Based on your risk of fractures, your doctor will determine how frequently you should be tested.