Start by discussing your family history with your doctor. Regular cancer screening is essential to help in the early detection of cancer and other diseases.
Although cancer can run in families, your risk may be significantly reduced with lifestyle choices. Here are some prevention tips:
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products. Try to quit if you can. If you can’t quit, get some help or cut back as much as you can.
- Stay active and strive to maintain a healthy weight.
- Protect yourself from the sun.
- Be sure all immunizations are current.
- Keep radiation exposure to a minimum.
- Limit alcohol use to up to two drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women. Women may reduce breast cancer risk by abstaining altogether. Women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15 percent higher risk than women who don’t drink.
For more information about cancer risk and prevention, visit the National Cancer Institute.