Here’s the continuation of  Part I

So let’s now come to Part II –

FIGHT CANCER

Although your genes and the environment play a part in your overall cancer risk, your health habits also determine whether you’ll develop this. (I really totally agree with this statement — it’s our lifestyle that can kill us sooner or make us live longer )

7.  If you smoke, quit.  Smoking is a leading cause of many types of cancer, as well as heart disease.  Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapies, such as nicotine gum, patch and nasal spray, as well as Zyban, an antidepressant that research suggests can minimize withdrawal symptoms.

8.  To check for cervical cancer, women who are sexually active or over 18 should have a yearly pap test and pelvic exam.  (huh am guilty of not doing both And this really bugs me for a long time now that i should go and see a doctor for a test))

9.  Women should get clinical breast exams every three years between the ages of 20 and 39, and yearly if they are 40 or older.

10.  The American Cancer Society suggests that women perform breast examinations monthly, starting in their 20′s.  (i dunno how to do this )  “Lumps that are especially worrisome feel like wood—not round, smooth, and squishy like a grape,”  says Dr. Susan Haas, chief of the Harvard Vanguard Division of OB/GYN at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts, USA.

11.  If you’re 40 or older, have a yearly mammogram; if you’re not yet 40, but may be at increased risk for breast cancer because of having close relatives who have had the disease, having had yourself, or having precancerous breast lesions, talk to your doctor about starting earlier.

12.  If you suspect you are at high risk for breast cancer, talk to your doctor about tamoxifen, a drug that studies suggest may reduce your risk.   It has, however, been linked to blood clots in the lungs and major veins, and uterine cancer, so you and your doctor will need to consider your overall health profile.

13.  At menopause, women at high risk for uterine cancer should have a sample of endometrial tissue examined for dysplasia (irregular cell growth that may be cancerous).

14.  To screen for colon and rectal cancer, the ACS recommends that men and women ages 50 and older undergo either a fecal occult blood test yearly and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years;  or a colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema every five to 10 years.  When you have any of these tests, the doctor should perform a digital rectal exam.

15.  Men ages 50 and older should undergo a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal examination yearly to screen for prostate cancer.

16.  To get a sense of your cancer risk, “find out the types of cancer that occured in your family and bring this to the attention of your physician,” says Hentry T. Lynch, MD, director of Creighton Cancer Center in Nebraska, USA.

17.  Learn the health threats your job may pose, such as exposure to carcinogic materials likes abestos.  Do what you can to minimize the danger, such as wearing a safe mask when working near the substance.

Author: Sandra Gordon, a coauthor of Global Eating: The 30 Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Most Delicious Cuisines.