Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk

Date Updated: 11/23/2024

How do people lower the chances of getting cancer? There's plenty of advice. But at times, advice from one study seems to go against advice from another. And researchers keep looking into new ways to prevent cancer.

But experts know that certain lifestyle choices can affect the chances of getting cancer. Try these lifestyle tips to help prevent cancer.

1. Don't use tobacco

Smoking has been linked to many types of cancer. This includes cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, voice box, pancreas, bladder, cervix, and kidney. Even being around secondhand smoke may raise the risk of lung cancer.

But it's not only smoking that's harmful. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, and pancreas.

A great way to help prevent cancer is to not use tobacco. If you want to quit tobacco, ask a healthcare professional about products that can help you stop smoking and other ways of quitting.

2. Eat healthy foods

Eating healthy foods isn't a sure way to prevent cancer. But it might lower the risk. Try to:

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Focus on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans. Limit foods high in calories, fats and added sugars. Limit red meat, processed meats, refined grains, and saturated and trans fats.
Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all. Alcohol raises the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver. The risk goes up the more you drink.

People who eat a Mediterranean diet have a lower risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, such as olive oil, rather than butter. And they eat fish instead of red meat.

3. Stay at a healthy weight and be physically active

Being at a healthy weight might lower the risk of some types of cancer. These include cancer of the breast, pancreas, liver, colon, and kidney.

Physical activity counts too. Besides helping control weight, physical activity on its own may lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

Doing any amount of physical activity is good for your health. But for the most benefit, get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of hard aerobic activity. More is better. You can combine moderate and hard activity.

4. Protect yourself from the sun

Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer and one of the easiest to prevent. Try these tips:

Limit time spent in the sun. This is especially true between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are strongest.
Stay in the shade. When outdoors, be in the shade as much as you can. Sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat help too.
Cover your skin. Wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Wear a head cover and sunglasses.
Use plenty of sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Put on a lot of sunscreen. Put it on again every two hours. Use it more often if you're swimming or sweating.
Don't use tanning beds or sunlamps. These can do as much harm as sunlight.

5. Get vaccinated

Protecting against certain viral infections can help protect against cancer. Talk to a healthcare professional about getting vaccines to prevent the following:

Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can raise the risk of getting liver cancer. People at high risk are those who have sex with more than one partner, people who have one sexual partner who has sex with others, and people with sexually transmitted infections.

Others at high risk are people who inject illegal drugs, men who have sex with men, and healthcare or public safety workers who have contact with infected blood or body fluids.
Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer and other genital cancers. It also can lead to squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The vaccine can protect children as young as 9 and young adults who were not vaccinated during childhood.

6. Stay away from risky behaviors

Some behaviors carry a high risk of infections that can raise the risk of getting cancer. To help prevent cancer:

Practice safe sex. Limit how many sexual partners you have. Use a condom. The more sexual partners you have, the greater the chances of getting a sexually transmitted infection, such as HIV or HPV.

People who have HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver and lung. HPV is most often linked to cervical cancer. But it also might raise the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina.
Don't share needles. Using drugs with shared needles can lead to HIV. And it can lead to hepatitis B and hepatitis C, which can raise the risk of liver cancer. If you need help with drug misuse or addiction, talk with a professional who specializes in those areas.

7. Get regular medical care

Do regular self-exams. Get screenings for cancers, such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix and breast. These efforts raise the chances of finding cancer early. That's when treatment is most likely to work. Ask a healthcare professional about the best cancer screenings for you.