Last week’s column discussed the difficulty in curing cancer because cancer is not one disease, but a multitude of different diseases, with differences going all the way down to the molecular level, which necessitates personalized treatment and individual results. Because of that, it’s obvious that the best approach to cancer is prevention. It is estimated that 42% of all cancers can be prevented by modifying risk factors such as cancer vaccinations, cancer screening, limiting occupational exposure, and occasionally medication use. Here’s a cancer prevention summary list of what can be done:

  1. Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of cancer. Lung cancer can be reduced by approximately 80% by avoiding cigarette smoking. In addition, tobacco chewing and dipping are the primary cause of oral cancers.
  2. Obesity is a risk factor for breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer.
  3. A healthy diet which avoids or limits red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and ultra-processed foods, is associated with an 18% reduction in all cancer deaths.
  4. Alcohol consumption is associated with liver, esophageal, breast, and colon cancer. The best advice is to not drink alcohol at all, but if you do, limit it to one or less drinks per day for women and less than two for men.
  5. Excessive sun exposure and tanning bed use is associated with melanoma, which has a high probability of metastasis and death. Using sunscreen with an SPS greater than 30 (and frequently reapplied), wearing protective clothing and hats that cover the entire face and scalp reduces this risk.
  6. Vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus) prevents cervical, oral, and anal cancer. Vaccination against hepatitis B prevents liver cancer.
  7. Cancer screening, which includes colonoscopy for colon cancer, mammography for breast cancer, pap smears and HPV detection for cervical, anal, oral cancers, and low-dose CT scanning for lung cancers have proven very effective in early detection and prevention of cancer progression.
  8. Drugs that block estrogen are effective in reducing breast cancer incidence in individuals at a high risk for breast cancer.
  9. Reducing exposure to radiation, radon, and chemicals such as asbestos have proven effective in reducing cancer incidence.

We are all destined to leave this world at one time or another but postponing that date through cancer prevention is effective.  Borrowing a line from Smokey the Bear, “only you can prevent forest fires,” only you can adopt the measures to prevent cancer.

Dr. Charlie Barnett is a contributor to KnoxTNToday, where he writes a weekly column, DocTalk, sharing his expertise on health and wellness management.

Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram.   Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.