How to Combat Cancer- 10 Tips, 10 Suggestions to Avoid Cancer

Only a few changes about diet, exercise and addiction can dramatically reduce the risk of cancer, according to a Special Report on Cancer Prevention.

The Special Report advises 10 approaches that can make a real difference in preventing cancer.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Quit/ reduce smoking : Quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung and other cancers, no matter how long you are smoking.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables: The American Cancer Society recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily because they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other substances that lower the risk of cancer.

3. Limit fat in the diet: Current guidelines recommend keeping fat intake between 20 and 30 percent of total daily calorie intake, assuming fat mostly coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

4. Maintain optimum body weight: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the colon, uterus, oesophagus and kidney. There's evidence that obesity increases the risk of cancers of the prostate, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, ovary and cervix also.

5. Be physically active: 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous activity a day, for at least 5 days of the week, is considered optimal to reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

6. Reduce alcohol consumption: Women should limit themselves to not more than one peg of alcohol a day. Men should have not more than two.

7. Limit exposure to radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes from the sun, sunlamps or commercial tanning beds, is the primary cause of skin cancer, which is again the most common of all cancers. Use sun glasses and sun screen in direct sunlight.

8. Protect against infection: Infections caused by viruses are recognized as risk factors for several types of cancer. Take early interventions, don't ignore.

9. Consider chemo-prevention: Chemo-prevention is the use of natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the risk of cancer or its recurrence. Tamoxifen, prescribed to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women, is the best known chemo prevention agent. Ask your doctor.

10. Get recommended screening exams by consulting your doctors: Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies and other routine screenings cannot prevent cancer. But screenings can help find cancers early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

Awareness is the vital thing which can save millions of lives. Make yourself aware and others also.