Cancer Prevention part 2

Cancer is a challenging diagnosis that will be faced by approximately 1 in 3 New

Zealanders during their lifetime.  Last months article discussed nutrition and cancer

risk but are there other lifestyle strategies we can implement to reduce  risk?

There are a number of lifestyle factors outside of nutrition that have been shown in

research to have an affect on cancer risk.  The most significant risk factor for all

cancers is smoking so giving up this habit is the single most important thing anyone

can do. Most of us are aware of its role in lung cancer but it also increases the chances

of other cancers too. 

Alcohol is another factor to consider with excess consumption being associated with

increased risk of multiple different types of cancer including oral, pharyngeal,

oesophageal, breast, bowel as well as pancreatic cancer. A study looking at alcohol

and breast cancer found that even relatively light drinking eg not more than 3 drinks

per week increased the risk of subsequent breast cancer development.

On the other hand there are lifestyle  choices that can reduce cancer risk. Meeting

physical activity guidelines has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast, bowel,

oesophageal, kidney and uterine cancer. Physical activity guidelines advise a

minimum of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. In

particular studies show regular movement reduced risk of developing bowel and

breast cancer by up to 20 percent. 

Sleeping well is also important because sleep deprivation affects our cancer fighting

immune cells. This is a real concern given that approximately 37 percent of New

Zealanders are not getting enough sleep and shift workers seem to be more at risk with

higher rates of  breast, prostate endometrium and colon cancers.  

Finding ways to reduce stress such as mindfulness or mediation could be helpful, with

a study from Europe showing that work stress had an association with oesophageal,

lung and bowel cancer. Of course also trying to avoid exposure to known carcinogens

like asbestos and coal tar is prudent and the WHO has a good list of carcinogens on

their website.

To summarize, avoiding cigarettes, sleeping well, limiting alcohol and moving your

body regularly  can all go a long way towards cancer prevention. Although there are

no guarantees, these strategies will likely bring benefits to overall health and they do

say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.