3 Everyday Ways to Help Prevent Cancer

February is Preventive Health Awareness Month — a reminder that four out of 10 cancers can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle. Here are three everyday changes you can make to help reduce your risk.

1. Avoid ultra-processed foods and eat more fruit and vegetables. 

   • 79% of adults in B.C. do not eat the recommended minimum of five fruit and vegetable servings per day.
   • One serving = 125 ml of whole fruit/vegetables or juice, or 250 ml of leafy greens.
   • Fruit and vegetable consumption helps protect against many types of cancer including lung, esophageal, colorectal, pancreatic and stomach cancers.
   • A diet high in red meat, ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks and refined grains can raise your risk of cancer.

2. Get physically active.

   • Lack of regular physical activity and sedentary behaviour are linked to colorectal, endometrial, breast, liver, bladder and stomach cancers.
   • B.C. leads the country in physical activity. However, nearly four in 10 adults and almost half of youth do not meet the recommended movement guidelines.
   • Adults should get 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity each week. Youth should aim for 60 minutes of activity each day.
   • Learn more about exercising to reduce your cancer risk. Get inspired and help the 80,000 people in B.C. facing cancer — sign up for Workout to Conquer Cancer.

3. Stop smoking and if you are high-risk, get screened for lung cancer.

• • Commercial tobacco use is the main preventable cause of cancer in B.C. It made up almost 28% of all cancer cases in 2015.
  • Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in B.C., is largely driven by tobacco use. Smoking also increases your risk of bladder, oral and other cancers.
  • Since launching in 2022, BC Cancer’s donor-supported lung cancer screening program has diagnosed 71% of its participants’ cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage. Find out if you’re eligible.

Learn about five more overlooked ways you can help prevent cancer.

Source: BC Cancer