1. 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
