Preventing Cancer Now
Comprehensive Cancer Centers joins the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in supporting February’s National Cancer Prevention Month. The practice supports the AACR’s efforts, as the cancer prevention month offers the opportunity for people to gain awareness to encourage early detection and treatment, while also gaining better perspectives about how cancer affects those with the disease.
On the early detection and treatment side of cancer, its critical importance is underscored by the fact that AACR research has shown that more than 40%of all cancers diagnosed, and nearly half of all deaths from cancer in the United States, can be attributed to preventable causes. This includes smoking, carrying excess body weight, a lack of physical inactivity, and excessive exposure to the sun. All of which are lifestyle factors that can be improved, without much disruption to what people consider their normal lives.
Cancer Prevention – Lifestyle Changes
Important lifestyle changes also can include never starting smoking, or quitting smoking if you do smoke, as well as making dietary changes to maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight, for instance, can be done by integrating new and tasty recipes to your cooking routine that reduce calories and consumption of fats and salts. Comprehensive’s blog regularly adds these recipes, as well as details on healthy ingredients you can use to substitute unhealthier ones, while keeping food interesting and fun.
Committing to exercising regularly is a great way to honor National Cancer Prevention Month. Comprehensive is glad to provide resources to help people in this regard, with tips and insights into getting more active. This includes encouragement to discuss new fitness plans with your primary care physician, as well as providing plans that allow yourself to start slowly and build up workout levels over time as routines get established.
Given our location in sunny Southern Nevada, Comprehensive cannot stress enough the benefits of being sun smart and protecting your skin from the sun. Being sun smart includes limiting direct exposure to sunlight for extended periods of time, wearing the right clothes, hats and sunglasses to protect yourself and being mindful of moles and anything else irregular that appears on your skin that should be examined in detail by your doctor.
Cancer Prevention – Being Proactive
The practice is proactive in one of the more important ways to reduces sun-related risks, by providing free sunscreen out in the community for those who may not have lathered up enough with sunscreen, or who have forgotten to bring it with them while enjoying popular local outdoor attractions. With that in mind, Comprehensive established sunscreen partnerships with the following: Las Vegas Aviators, Las Vegas Lights FC, Vegas Golden Knights, Nevada Cancer Coalition, Las Vegas Springs Preserve, PENTA Building Group, City of Las Vegas, Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada, Downtown Summerlin®, Cowabunga Bay and the Cadence master-planned community. The practice also provides free sunscreen at many community-wide events through a partnership with American Cancer Society and has partnered with Clark County Parks and Recreation to offer free sunscreen kiosks at more than 50 facilities including rec centers, senior centers, pools and camp sites. If you’re out and about at these locations, look for Comprehensive’s sunscreen kiosks and get covered up.
Another important part of National Cancer Prevention Month is making sure that you’re getting vaccinated against the viruses that cause certain cancers. These vaccines can dramatically reduce your risk of certain cancers, including HPV. Check with your primary care physician to find out what vaccines will most benefit your health.
While some people may look at events like National Cancer Prevention Month and wonder about the benefits, there is ample evidence that many of the greatest reductions in cancer morbidity and mortality have been achieved through effective public education and policy initiatives. For example, cancer awareness campaigns related to cigarette smoking drove down smoking rates among U.S. adults by greater than twofold from 1965 to 2017. Education makes a difference.
When people learn about risks, it’s also important to note that much work is left to be done. Three out of 10 cancer deaths are still caused by cigarette smoking, and lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women, with great gains still to be realized.
Finally, it’s important to note that even with the best of prevention methods, cancers still occur. It’s critical for everyone to get screened to find cancers as soon as possible. And it’s also important for those without cancer to know that people who have minimized risks for cancer, still can get the disease and we need to show them love and support during their cancer journeys.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers Can Help
Physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers provide a variety of treatment options for patients with cancer, blood disorders, breast health conditions and pulmonary disease or sleep troubles. To schedule an appointment with the team at Comprehensive, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
