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Types of Cancer

The cancer prevention specialists of the Moores Cancer Center want to help you reduce your risk of developing cancer. In celebration of our 25th Anniversary, we offer these 25 tips, which are founded on scientific research—some of it conducted at this Cancer Center—and supported by the National Cancer Institute. We encourage you to talk with your doctor for more specific recommendations on how to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and for more detailed guidelines for cancer screenings that may be right for you.

Lifestyle

Scientists say that lifestyle choices are responsible for an estimated 50 to 75  percent of cancer deaths in the U.S.

Diet/Nutrition

• Eat at least 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit each day. Choose dark green and deep yellow vegetables, and colorful fruits (citrus, berries, melons, mangos, and papaya). (breast, bladder, colorectal, esophageal, lung, oral, ovarian, pancreas, stomach cancers)
• Choose at least 2 whole-grain servings daily (like whole wheat bread, oatmeal,  popcorn). (breast, colorectal, prostate)
• Choose at least 1 serving daily of beans (like lentils, split peas, and pinto, garbanzo,
• black and navy beans). (breast, colorectal, prostate)
• Choose healthy dietary fats, found in nuts, olive oil, canola oil, and avocado. Limit saturated fat, found in red meat and regular dairy foods. (colorectal, endometrial, lung, prostate cancers) 

Weight/Exercise

• Commit to daily physical activity. Aim for at least 10,000 steps each day, including moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking. Wear a pedometer to help you monitor your steps. (breast, lung, prostate, colon, endometrial cancers)
• Maintain a healthy weight through smaller food portions and regular physical activity.
• Avoid weight gain in adulthood. (breast, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, kidney cancers) 

Tobacco

• If you smoke, you need to quit. Call the California Smokers Helpline (operated by the Moores UCSD Cancer Center) to get help to quit. If you haven’t smoked for a while, avoid temptations that may lead you to start again. Smoking causes about 30 percent
• of all U.S. deaths from cancer. (breast, lung, bladder, esophageal, oral, pancreas, kidney, cervical cancers)
• Avoid exposure to second-hand smoke. Establish a smoke-free home. (breast, lung  cancer)
• Don’t chew tobacco. (oral cancer)

Alcohol

• Reduce alcohol consumption: Limit to 1 drink per day for women; 2 for men. (1 drink =12 oz beer; 5 oz wine; 1.5 oz liquor) (breast, colorectal, liver, esophageal, oral cancers)

Sun Protection

• Limit exposure to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, when sun is strongest. (basal/squamous cell skin cancers, melanoma)
• Wear sun-protective clothing. (basal/squamous cell skin cancers, melanoma)
• Wear sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Wear at least SPF15, all day, even on cloudy days. (basal/squamous cell skin cancers, melanoma)

EARLY DETECTION

Following are basic guidelines for steps you can take to find cancer early, when there is the best chance for cure. (Guidelines apply to average risk people with no symptoms.)

Breast Cancer

• Breast Self-Exam—Monthly starting at age 20
• Clinical breast exam—Every 3 years starting at age 20; annually starting at age 40
• Mammogram—Annually starting at age 40

Cervical Cancer

• Pap smear and pelvic exam—Annually starting approximately age 21; every 2-3 years after 3 consecutive normal results.

Colorectal Cancer

• Fecal occult blood test—Annually starting at age 50
• Sigmoidoscopy—Every 5 years starting at age 50
• Colonoscopy—Every 10 years starting at age 50

Prostate Cancer

• Digital rectal exam—Annually starting at age 50
• PSA test—Annually starting at age 50

Oral Cancers

• During your regular checkup, ask the dentist to check your mouth and gums.

Family History

• Learn about your family risk of cancer; 5 to 10 percent of all cancers occur in people with a family member with the same cancer. Knowing what cancers have been in the family is the first step toward tailored screening and preventive options.

ENVIRONMENTAL

Avoid exposure to environmental chemicals known to cause cancer such as radon and benzene. Have your home tested for radon, an odorless gas released from rocks and soil that enters homes through cracks in the foundation. Benzene is a natural part of gasoline and cigarette smoke; exposure comes from inhaling air that contains it, so avoid smoking, secondhand smoke and vapors from heavy traffic and gas stations as much as possible. (radon—lung cancer; benzene—leukemia)

SERVING SIZES

A serving size is 1/2 cup cooked vegetable, or sliced or chopped fruit; 1/2 cup dried fruit; one medium piece of fresh fruit; 1 cup raw green leafy vegetable; or 6 ounces juice.

HOW’S YOUR WEIGHT? Here’s how to determine your body mass index (BMI), the best indicator of being overweight:

• STEP 1: Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared.
• STEP 2: Then multiply the result by 703.

If BMI is 30 or more you’re considered obese; 25-29.9 is overweight; 18.5-24.9 is normal; below 18.5 is underweight. More information and a BMI calculator

are available at www.cdc.gov

Information sources: Cancer Prevention and Control Program of Moores UCSD Cancer Center, and the National Cancer Institute.