By Clare Hughes
Nutrition Program Manager at Cancer Council NSW
From enjoying a wine, getting a tan, chewing on bacon and skipping that Pilates class, women today cannot escape the news that their lifestyle habits can have a real impact on their risk of getting cancer.
About 57,000 Australian women are diagnosed with cancer every year and the most common cancers in women are skin, breast, bowel and lung cancers.
The good news however, is that there are simple steps women can take every day to reduce their cancer risk.
Importantly, research now shows that one third of cancers can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle.
Here are Cancer Council’s seven simple steps to reduce your cancer risk:
1. Eat well:
Healthy eating is a first step in reducing your cancer risk. Poor eating habits increase your risk of cancer at many sites in the body including breast and bowel cancers, as well as endometrial and ovarian cancers. Poor eating habits can also contribute to weight gain, and being overweight or obese increases your risk of cancer.Enjoy plenty of fruit and vegetables; aim for two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables or legumes a day. Eat a variety of wholegrain, wholemeal and other high-fibre foods, such as cereals, breads, rice and pasta; aim for at least 4–6 serves of these foods a day. Choose a diet low in salt and fat, although a small amount of fat is essential for good health and can be found in foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Eat moderate amounts of lean red meat, and limit or avoid processed meats.
2. Move your body:
Regular exercise can reduce your risk of breast (particularly in women who have been through menopause), endometrial and bowel cancers. To reduce your cancer risk, aim for 60 minutes of moderate exercise or 30 minutes of vigorous exercise most days or every day. But every little bit counts so start small and gradually increase your activity. Being physically active can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which again, is a key lifestyle factor to help minimise your cancer risk.
3. Maintain a healthy weight:
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of ten types of cancer including breast (post-menopause), endometrial and ovarian cancers in women; bowel, oesophageal, liver, kidney, pancreatic and gallbladder cancers, as well as advanced prostate cancer in men – Being overweight also increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, gout, impaired fertility, lower back pain, osteoarthritis and many other conditions. The Body Mass Index (BMI) – a measure of your body weight in relation to your height – is a good indication of whether you are within a healthy weight range.
4. Quit smoking:
Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals, including over 60 carcinogens (chemicals known to cause cancer). There are immediate health benefits as soon as you quit smoking, even if you already suffer health problems so it’s never too late to ditch the habit. Smoking increases the risk of developing 16 different types of cancers, including lung cancer, as well as uterine, cervical and ovarian cancers, as it produces chemicals that may damage the cells of the cervix and make cancer more likely to develop.
5. Keep up to date with your checks:
A good way to detect some cancers early, including breast and cervical cancer for women and bowel cancer, is to have regular screening tests. Unfortunately, a significant number of Australian women are not taking part in the relevant cancer screening programs available to them at key stages in their life. Four in 10 eligible Australian women do not have regular 2-yearly Pap tests, 45 per cent of eligible Australian women aged 50-69 are not participating in BreastScreen and six in 10 eligible Australian women (aged 50+) do not take part in the National Bowel Screening Program. Every day in Australia, around 50 women are diagnosed with breast or a gynaecological cancer. If found early, some of these cancers can be treated successfully so it’s important to keep up to date with the cancer checks relevant to you.
6. Be sun smart:
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, which has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. There is no screening program for skin cancer, however, most skin cancers can be treated successfully if found early so getting to know your own skin will help you notice any new or changing spots, moles or freckles. To reduce your risk, remember to slip on clothing that covers your shoulders, arms and legs; slop on sunscreen with a SPF30+ or higher, slap on a broad-brimmed hat; seek shade; and slide on sunglasses.
7. Watch what you drink:
There is convincing evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the bowel, breast, liver, mouth, throat, larynx and oesophagus. The more you drink, the greater the risk; and the type of alcohol you drink doesn’t make a difference. If you choose to drink, limit your intake. The recommended intake is an average of no more than 2 standard drinks a day.
This March, Cancer Council is encouraging people, no matter their fitness level, to lead more active and healthy lives and help combat the 37,000 cancer cases in Australia that could be avoided every year. For more details visit: The March Charge