Prevention/Risk Reduction

More information

Scientists at the IU Simon Cancer Center are currently trying to find out what factors can contribute to a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some factors can be avoided, such as smoking cigarettes. Other factors, like those that are inherited, are unavoidable.

Factors are divided into two types, protective and risk.

  • Protective factors decrease a person’s chance of developing cancer.
  • Risk factors increase the chance of developing cancer.

Prevention means increasing the protective factors and avoiding the known risk factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases. Current cancer prevention recommendations may be specific to different types of cancer and include:

  • Quit tobacco use.
  • Make healthy, nutrient-rich food choices. Examples of healthy choices are high fiber foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and foods low in animal fat.
  • Limit alcohol to less than one drink per day.
  • Wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen with at least a sun protective factor (SPF) of 12.
  • Reduce mid-day UV radiation exposure during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Follow work and safety rules to avoid or minimize contact with dangerous materials.
  • Discuss the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with your doctor before beginning therapy.

Possible risk factors for cancer are a mix of lifestyle, hereditary, and environmental factors and include:

  • Tobacco and alcohol use.
  • High-fat diet.
  • Being overweight.
  • Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
  • Exposure to cancer-causing agents or carcinogens in the environment and workplace, such as ionizing radiation and other chemicals, metals, or pesticides.
  • Exposure to hormones through medical regimens, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
  • Being infected with certain viruses (although cancer is not contagious).
  • Close relatives with certain types of cancer that tend to occur more often in some families than the rest of the population.

It is important to remember that increasing protective factors and avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the cancer. For as yet unknown reasons, some people are more sensitive than others to factors that can cause cancer.

Talk to your doctor about regular check-ups and methods of increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors for cancer that might be effective for you.