image source: www.altcancer.com

Current research indicates that the foods we ingest to our body can influence our risks to certain types of cancer. High energy and high fat diets can lead to obesity and are generally thought to increase the risk of some cancers. Plant-based diets high in fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholegrain foods may help to prevent cancer.

Diet is just one of the lifestyle factors that influence the risk of developing cancer.

Smoking, obesity, alcohol, sun exposure and physical activity levels are also important.

Foods to limit in your diet or eat less of include: Fatty processed red meats ,Highly processed foods that are low in fibre Heavily salted and pickled foods.

Foods to eat more The strongest protective anti-cancer effect has been shown with: Vegetables, especially raw vegetables or salads ,Leafy green vegetables, carrots,Tomatoes,Citrus fruits ,Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy and other Asian greens.

Women who are about to experience menopause have been baffled by the conflicting recommendations and study results regarding the intake of hormones to alleviate the effects (physiological and psychological) of menopause and its ability to increase the risk of certain types of cancer, namely breast cancer. HRT is deemed necessary to prevent osteoporosis, colon cancer as opposed to the higher incidence and occurrence of Breast cancer. Women who have had hysterectomy take two hormonal supplements to counteract the effect of such medical procedure. Having the ovaries removed also has a good effect which lowers the risk of getting ovarian cancer by as much as 50%. True to rumors, studies both in the US and UK have confirmed the increase of breast cancer. The hormonal treatment of menopause has long been used as a way of allowing women to function normally without the sometimes debilitating effects of the late stage hormonal rampage they have to go through. Studies then showed that is was a case of choosing between two evils that was solidified and better understood by the recent studies. For more details, check out the Women’s Health Initiative and the Million Women Study.

Experts advise people to have at least general knowledge of any history of cancer within the family tree. This comes to light for of all cancer cases 5 to 10% are inherited and a family history of the disease allows you to get recommendations from your doctor regarding screening schedules and preventive measures to take. Mothers and Daughters are also encouraged to both have regular checkups and the younger generation be given HPV vaccines to prevent the occurrence of cervical cancer in later life. As with many forms of cancer, diet and other environmental factors can play a large part whether you do or do not get the disease so better understanding and regular screenings as part of the annual check-up is best especially in the later years of life. The older you get, the weaker the immune system along with the bodies organs that can lead to cancer.

Many afflicted with cancer could have avoided the disease altogether if only they have had proper screening procedures done. Most cancers begin above the age of 50 as with colorectal cancer but others make themselves felt even at a young age. Now considering the fact that the cancer was not traced to genetics (meaning there is no lineage or history of cancer in the family), most cancers are detectable with screening processes. Regular screening which is usually done at least once a year helps in the early detection and treatment of the said disease. Statistics show that with the much advancement in medical technology, the death rates attributed to cancer is going down but the alarming news is that there are new cases every year and the numbers are in the tens of thousands each year.

If you suspect that you have cancer, consult your nearest health center or facility for proper diagnosis. Information and resources are available online from the following sources; CDC, Prevent Cancer Foundation, The American Cancer Society and many more health oriented organizations that offer it as a service to the general Public.

In the United States alone, over a million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are discovered and diagnosed each year. The most serious form of skin cancer would account for almost 60,000 cases in 2007 alone and from those, more than 8,000 will die as a result of the disease. Skin cancer is an ever-present problem for all due to ever-worsening environmental degradation which leads to more of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation getting through and causing damage to more and more unprotected people’s skin. As we all know, safety under the sun has been put on the spotlight by all governments and NGO’s in the hopes of lowering these statistics and keeping more people cancer free.
Simple steps as the proper use of sun protection if the form of sun block can greatly lower these statistics if only people adhered to the right use. Kids are some of the most active and prone to the disease and with their fragile bodies, they tend to suffer more from the disease due to their small fragile bodies. Adults feel impregnable to the sun which also leads to melanomas. So simple products like sun-protective clothing like caps and hats during hot days, sun block during leisure time and even on regular days can make all the difference in the fight against skin cancer.

According to studies and surveys by the American Cancer Society, in the year 2004 about 500,000 people in America alone would have died of cancer giving 1,500/fatalities a day. In the same year 1.4 million new cases would be detected without the inclusion of “in situ cancer” plus approximately a million cases of non-melanoma skin cancers, also for the same year.
As the statistics show, there is an ever-rising occurrence of the disease in it’s many forms and the drive for the decreasing of the number of afflicted members of society from behavioral and environmental factors. These factors can be summed up as, what you eat, drink, the lifestyle you live and even where you live can all be contributory factors in the risk you face in getting the disease.