Simple steps can make a big difference in your health
Most of us know to lessen cancer risk we should eat a healthful diet, exercise and abstain from smoking. However, there are substantial steps you can take to lower your risk of getting cancer that aren't as well known.
Here are three things that could be contributing to your cancer risk and action steps you can take to reduce that risk.
Drinking too much alcohol
Think alcohol is only related to liver disease? Think again. In its "Report on Carcinogens,' the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Dept, of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent. Alcohol is a major risk factor for head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer and liver cancer, according to Malta Saada Jawad, M.D., a radiation oncologist with Beaumont. Alcohol use also raises the risk of breast and colorectal cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Harmful metabolites occur when the body breaks down alcohol and alcohol also impairs the body’s ability to absorb vitamins and other nutrients - two of several ways scientists believe tipping back too many raises cancer risk.
The more you drink over time, the higher your risk for developing an alcohol-related cancer, says Jawad. “In general, more than three drinks per day on a regular basis can lead to a 1.5 times greater risk of developing breast or colorectal cancer and as high as a two to three times greater risk of developing head and neck cancer,” she says, in these people, the additive rise of tobacco can substantially increase the chances of developing cancer as well."
Action steps
It's not necessary to be a teetotaler, but drink alcohol sparingly and know that if you light up and imbibe, your risk of getting certain cancers goes up significantly.
Chronic inflammation
In some cases, inflammation is beneficial for the body - it’s an immune response that helps us heal from injuries and fight oil’ viruses and bacteria. However, problems can occur when the inflammation becomes long term.
“In chronic inflammation, the inflammatory process can begin without injury and may not stop when it should,” says Jawad, “This could be caused by infections that don't resolve, abnormal immune responses or obesity. Over time the presence of chronic inflammation can actually cause damage to the DNA of cells, in turn leading to the formation of cancer cells.”
Chronic inflammation can also be caused by inflammatory bowel diseases, which are associated with increased colon cancer risk, viruses such as IHPV, which can cause cervical or head and neck cancers, and other infectious agents, says Jawad. “Non-infectious agents also play a role in developing chronic inflammation including bile acids and exposures to tobacco, asbestos, coal and silica dust, she adds.
Action steps
Jawad advises eating a healthful diet, getting regular exercise, reducing stress levels and gelling enough sleep, all of which have been shown to lower inflammation in the body, along with reducing exposure to known toxins including tobacco, chemicals and pesticides.
Sugar consumption
While there isn’t clear evidence that sugar itself increases the risk of cancer, excess sugar consumption is linked to obesity which studies have shown is linked to increased risk for a long list of cancers.
“Being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for multiple cancers," says Jawad. “Observational studies have linked obesity to cancer risk. While these studies cannot definitively establish that obesity causes cancer, there is consistent evidence that higher body fat percentage is associated with the development of certain cancers.”
The list of cancers linked to obesity includes endometrial, esophageal, colorectal, liver, kidney, pancreatic, gallbladder, breast, ovarian and thyroid cancers. Scientists believe one main reason is that those who are overweight are more likely to have chronic inflammation (see item No. 2). Jawad says fat tissue also produces excess estrogen, which in high levels is associated with increased breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer risk.
“Obesity can also increase blood levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, which can promote the development of certain cancers including kidney, prostate, colon and endometrial cancer,” she adds.
Action steps
Eat a well-balanced diet, cut way back on sugary drinks and snacks and also be aware of hidden sugars in foods that some consider 'healthy” such as yogurt and granola bars.
This story originally appeared in the Michigan.com / Detroit Free Press 2018 Cancer Guide.