Home | Online Resources | UB Catalog | Campus Libraries | About UB Libraries | Forms | Search | Help

Good News:
Everyone does not get cancer.
2 out of 3 Americans never will get it .

Better News:
Every year more and more people with cancer are cured.

Best News:
Every day you can do something to help protect yourself from cancer.
And the National Cancer Institute says, here's how!

CANCER PREVENTION
The News is Getting Better All The Time

Before today you may not have thought of cancer* and good news together.
Now, though, the news about cancer is getting better the best news is about cancer prevention.

In the few years, scientists have identified many causes of cancer. Today it is known that about 80 percent of cancer cases are tied to the way people live their lives. For example, the foods they eat, the work they do, and whether they smoke all affect their likelihood of getting cancer.

Once you know some of the factors that increase the possibility that you might get cancer, you can take some control over them. Some are hard to control-like your work environment; but others are easy-like eating good foods. This booklet tells you some things you can do every day to help protect yourself from cancer.

* You will find a glossary at the end of this book. It explains the meaning of all the words in the booklet printed in [bold] red type.

Important Questions About Cancer

1. Q What causes cancer?
A No one knows for sure how a normal cell becomes a cancer cell. But scientists agree that people get cancer mainly through repeated or long-term contact with one or more cancer-causing agents called carcinogens . The carcinogens cause body cells to change their structures and to grow out of control

2. Q Are there different kinds of cancer-causing agents?
A Yes. Scientists now believe most cancers are caused in two steps by two kinds of agents: initiators and promoters . Initiators start the damage to a cell that can lead to cancer. For example, cigarette smoking, X-rays, and certain chemicals have been shown to be initiators.

Promoters usually do not cause cancer by themselves. They change cells already damaged by an initiator from normal to cancer cells. For example, studies show that alcohol promotes the development of cancer in the mouth, throat, and possibly the liver when combined with an initiator, such as tobacco.

3. Q What is a cancer risk factor ?
A An agent that has been linked to the cause of a particular kind of cancer is called a risk factor. Contact with that agent increases an individual's likelihood for risk of getting that kind of cancer. Exposure to a particular risk factor does not necessarily mean that you will get the disease, but it does mean that the possibility that you might get cancer has increased. Risk factors are described in several ways.

There are both "avoidable" and "unavoidable" risk factors. You can cut down or cut out your contact with avoidable risk factors, such as tobacco or alcohol. Unavoidable risk factors are those which you personally cannot control. For example, the risk of getting any type of cancer increases as you get older.

There are both "known" and "suspected" risk factors. A known risk factor is an agent that has been shown by either studies of human populations or by laboratory tests to be capable of producing cancer. A "suspected" risk factor is thought to produce cancer, although studies have not yet confirmed he link to cancer.

4. Q Is cancer curable?
A Yes. Of all the chronic diseases, cancer is the mast curable. Today, nearly half of all cancer patients can be cured by modern treatment methods. Great advances have been made in our ability to prevent, detect, and treat cancer.

5. Q Is cancer contagious?
A No. Cancer is not catching. It cannot be spread from person to person by sneezing, coughing, kissing, or in any other way.

6. Q Does my diet affect my chances of getting cancer?
A Studies suggest that certain food, and some nutrients contained in those foods may be associated with the development of cancer.

• Findings suggest that a high intake of dietary fat is a risk factor for cancer.
• Population studios indicate that obesity increases the risk of developing certain cancers.
• Other studies suggest that some vitamins and dietary fiber may help protect you from developing some forms of cancer.

Current evidence suggests that by choosing carefully and eating a well-balanced diet, you may reduce your cancer risk. For a well-balanced diet:

Eat a variety of foods every day. Include fresh fruit and vegetables, especially those high in vitamins A and C, such as oranges, grapefruit, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, cantaloup, and honeydew melons Choose leafy green and yellow-orange vegetables like spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, and carrots, as well as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.

Keep your intake of all fats low, both saturated and unsaturated fats. Choose lean red meats, fish, and poultry. Trim fat from steaks, roasts, and chops, and skin poultry before cooking. Try broiling, roasting or baking meats and fish, or simmering them in their own juices, rather than frying them. Limit your use of butter, margarine, cream, shortening, and vegetable oils. Avoid hidden fats in salad dressings and snack foods like potato chips. Choose lowfat or skim milk, lowfat cheeses, and dairy desserts. Choose fruit instead of high fat desserts.

Eat foods with fiber, such as whole grain breads and cereals; a variety of raw fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten with the skin; beans, peas, and seeds.

A well-balanced diet will help keep you from being either over or underweight. You can lose weight by increasing your physical activity, eating smaller portions of food, eating less sugar and sweets, and limiting your consumption of alcoholic drinks to 1 or 2 drinks per day.

7. Q Do vitamins change my cancer risks?
A Scientists have found some relationship between a lack of certain vitamins-A and C-and cancer. For example, diets low in vitamin A have been linked to cancers of the prostate gland, cervix, skin, bladder and colon.

On the other hand, studies indicate that vitamin A and vitamin C may help protect the body from some types of cancer. You an get all the vitamins A and C your body can use if you choose two helpings daily from the same fruits and vegetables that are in a balanced diet-- dark green vegetables, yellow-orange vegetables and yellow-orange fruits.

8. Q Does drinking alcohol cause cancer?
A Excessive amounts of alcoholic beverage, have been linked to a number of cancers. Heavy drinking is associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus , and liver. People who both smoke cigarettes and drink have a higher risk of getting cancers of the mouth and the esophagus.

9. Q Does cigarette smoking cause cancer?
A Yes. People who smoke have a ten times greater chance of getting cancer than people who don't smoke. Overall, smoking causes 30 percent of all cancer deaths. The risk of getting lung cancer from cigarettes increases with the number you smoke, how long you have been smoking, and how deeply you inhale. Smoking also has been linked to cancers of the larynx, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, kidney, and mouth.

Although stopping is better switching to ow-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes may reduce somewhat your risk of developing lung cancer if you do not inhale more deeply, take more puffs, or smoke more cigarettes than you did before you switched.

However, switching to low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes will not reduce your risks of developing other cancers and diseases, such as heart disease.

Animal studies also have confirmed that byproducts (tar) produced by smoking marijuana can cause cancers.

Once you quit smoking, though, your risks begin to decrease at once. The only way to eliminate your cancer risks due to smoking is not to smoke at all.

10. Q Do all tobacco products increase cancer risks?
A Yes. Although people who smoke cigars and pipes are less likely to develop lung cancer than cigarette smokers, they do risk developing cancers of the mouth, tongue, and throat. People who use snuff and chewing tobacco also risk getting cancer of the mouth.

11. Q Will sunlight cause skin cancer?
A Repeated exposure to sunlight over a long period of time has been linked to skin cancer. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays harm the skin. These rays are strongest from 11 am. to 2 pm. during the summer, so that is when risk is greatest. Fair-skinned people are at greater risk than dark-skinned people. They have less of a pigment called melanin in their skin to block some of the sun's damaging rays. The harm done is never fully repaired, even though the suntan or burn fades away.

You can protect yourself from the sun's rays and still spend a lot of time outdoors. Wear lightweight clothing but choose long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Wear a broad-brimmed hat or a bandana. Use sunscreens. A number 15 on the label means most of the sun's UV rays will be blocked out.

12. Q Can too many X-rays increase my risk of getting cancer?
A Yes. Large doses of radiation are known to cause cancer. Although you are exposed to very little radiation in a single X-ray, getting many X-rays over a long period does increase your cancer risk. The best practice is to discuss each X-ray with your doctor or dentist to learn if each is needed. If the X-ray is necessary. Ask if X-ray shields can be used to protect other parts or your body.

13. Q Is there any association between estrogen use and cancer in women?
A Use of the hormone estrogen has been linked to cancer of the uterus . Studies have shown that women who took large doses of estrogens for menopause symptoms have a greater risk of developing uterine cancer than women who did not take estrogen. Increases in risks to other cancers have been studied, but the results have been unclear.

The association of birth control pills with cancer risk has been studied. There is no conclusive evidence that cancer is caused by any pills now sold. Study results suggest, though, that the risk of breast and cervical cancer might be higher in some groups of pill users. Also, there is some evidence that pill users may have a lower risk of cancer of the uterine lining and ovary. Pill users should examine their breasts regularly and get regular Pap tests.

Today, estrogens for menopause symptoms and for birth control can be prescribed at very low levels. If you are taking estrogens, you can help protect your self by discussing dose levels with your doctor.

14. Q Will on-the-job exposure to cancer-causing agents increase the risk of developing cancer?
A Exposure to some industrial agents increases cancer risks. The kinds of workplace substances that cause cancer can be divided into three broad groups: chemicals, metals, dusts and fibers. Only a small number of agents in these groups actually cause cancer. They do damage by acting alone or, probably more often, by acting in combination with another workplace carcinogen or with cigarette smoke. For example, studies have shown that breathing in asbestos fibers creates an especially high risk of lung disease and cancer. The risk is extremely high for workers who smoke. In fact, some scientists suggest that the main carcinogen in the workplace is the cigarette. Regulatory agencies, industries, and organized labor have developed health and safety measures related to hazardous exposures in the workplace. Some measures cover individual safety. You can help protect yourself by knowing and following such worksite health and safety rules. If protective clothing or equipment (masks, respirators, coveralls, glows) are recommended or required for your job, wear them.

15. Q Do bumps, bruises, or other injuries cause cancer?
A No. Injuries to the body cannot cause cancer. Sometimes, treatment for an injury leads the doctor to find a cancer that had existed before but had not been noticed.

16. Q What can I do to reduce my chances of getting cancer?
A You can reduce your cancer risks by limiting or avoiding exposure to or use of cancer-causing agents. You can help protect yourself if you:

• Don't smoke. Smoking causes cancer and increases the risk from other carcinogens.
• Vary your diet to include foods high in fiber, low in fat and low enough in calories so that you will stay trim. Include fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals in your daily diet.
• Avoid too much sunlight, particularly if you are fair-skinned, by wearing protective clothing and using sunscreens.
• Don't ask for an X-ray if your doctor or dentist does not recommend it. If you need an X-ray, ask if X-ray shields can be used to protect other parts of your body.
• Follow worksite health and safety rules. Wear protective clothing; use provided safety equipment.
• Drink alcoholic beverages only in moderation, particularly if you smoke. (One or two drinks a day is considered moderate.)
• Discuss estrogen use with your doctor; use only as long as needed.

Help Protect Yourself From Cancer

Answer the following questions to identify your own personal risks of developing cancer. If you answer yes to any of these questions, there is something you can do to protect yourself. Check the chart on pages 16, 17, and 18.

1. Do you smoke?

2. Do you use smokeless. tobacco products?

3. Do you often work or play in the sun? ___ yes ___no

4. Are you taking estrogens? ___ yes ___ no

5. Do you work with or near industrial cancer-causing agents, such as asbestos, nickel, uranium, chromates, petroleum, vinyl chloride? ___ yes ___ no

6. Do you have X-rays taken frequently? ___ yes ___ no

7. Do you eat many foods that are high in fat?

8. Do you have more than two drinks of an alcoholic beverage per day?
___ yes ___ no

Facts On Cancer Risk Factors

Suspected Risk Factor : Diet

The Risk : A diet high in fat, and/or high in total calories may lead to obesity; increased risk of several cancers.

Action : A generous intake of dietary fiber from whole grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, peas and beans is prudent.

Vary diet to include foods low in fat (fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, lowfat dairy products, lean meats, poultry without the skin-fish, peas, and beans). Prepare foods by baking, broiling, poaching, and simmering with little or no added fat, rather than frying. Use margarine, butter, oils, and salad dressing sparingly, Treat yourself to baked goods and desserts only on special occasions.

You can control many of the factors that cause cancer. This means that you can help protect yourself from the possibility of getting cancer. You can decide how you're going to live your life-which habits you will keep and which once you will change.

The habits that help protect you from cancer are many of the same ones that help keep you feeling healthy and it.

Glossary

Agent a substance that causes some change.

Cancer a group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow out of control and can spread throughout the body.

Carcinogen any agent that is known to cause cancer either in animals or humans.

Cells the basic structural units that make up all tissues of the body and carry on all the body's functions.

Esophagus the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Estrogen any of several female sex hormones that are secreted by the ovaries and that help regulate the functions of the uterus: man-made copies of this hormone that are used to mimic or alter natural body functions.

Hormone a substance formed by one organ of the body, which is carried (for example, by the bloodstream) to another organ and stimulates the second organ to function.

Initiator any agent that may start the cancer process in animals or in humans.

Menopause the time in a woman's life when menstruation stops, usually around age 50.

Promoter an agent that advances the development of cancer, once a cell has been damaged by an initiator.

Risk factor an agent or substance that increases on individual's possibility of getting a particular type of cancer.

Uterus the womb.

Cancer Prevention Tips

• Don't smoke or use tobacco in any form.
• Eat food high in and low in fat.
• Include fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereals in your daily diet.
• Keep yourself safe on the job by using protective devices (respirators protective clothing).
• Avoid unnecessary X-rays.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so only in moderation.
• Avoid too much sunlight, wear protective clothing use sunscreens.
• Take estrogens only as long as necessary

For answers to questions you may have about cancer, including information about early detection, call the following toll-free telephone number and you will be automatically connected to the Cancer Information Service office serving your area:

1-800-4-CANCER*

*In Alaska call 1-800-638-6070: in Washington, D.C. (and suburbs in Maryland and Virginia) call 202-636-5700; in Hawaii, on Oahu call 808-524-1234 (Neighbor Islands call collect).

Spanish-speaking staff members are available to callers from the following areas (daytime hours only): California (area codes 213, 714, 619, and 805), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Northern New Jersey, New York City, and Texas.

U. S. Government Printing Office: 1984-421-948: 13

National Cancer Institute
NIH Publication Number 84-2671
Reprinted May 1984

Top of page