ORLANDO, Fla. (IVANHOE NEWSWIRE) - More than two million people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024 for the first time ever, but experts have said there are simple ways to lower your risk.
For example, smoking accounts for nearly 20% of lung cancer cases. That's more than 100,000 preventable lung cancers in men and more than 90,000 in women. According to the National Cancer Institute, quitting smoking cuts lung cancer risk by 30% to 50% in 10 years and cuts mouth cancer risk in half after five years.
What about the third most preventable type of cancer, which is colorectal cancer?
"It is so incredibly important that we get the word out there that colorectal cancer is something that we can actually prevent," said Dr. Brooke Glessing, an advanced gastroenterologist.
Dr. Glessing says that a precancerous polyp in the colon can take 10 years to develop into cancer, but the risk can be eliminated with frequent screenings.
"In everything that we have to deal with in life, this is one thing that we can actually intervene upon, and I think that that's exciting, actually," Dr. Glessing explained.
Getting the hepatitis B and HPV vaccines can decrease your risk of anal cancer. The American Cancer Society developed this acronym for when to get screened: "CAUTION." It stands for change in bowels, a sore that doesn't heal, unusual bleeding, thickening or lump, indigestion, obvious change in wart or mole, and nagging cough.
"I think the more we talk about it, the more we educate people about it, the greater likelihood that people will actually come in and get screened," Dr. Glessing said.
Researchers said other factors that increase your risk of cancer include excessive body weight, consumption of alcohol, and ultraviolet radiation.
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