.In 1940 under President. Franklin D Roosevelt, April was proclaimed to be Cancer Control Month. So today's blog will focus on how Lifestyle Medicine health behaviors relate to cancer.
Whether we are discussing cancer prevention, cancer treatment or post cancer therapy, Lifestyle Medicine can play a significant role in each of those discussions. Approximately 40% of all cancers in the USA can be prevented by adopting and implementing the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, specifically those of diet and exercise for preventing breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. In the USA, cancer is the second leading cause of death-behind heart disease-accounting for approximately 25% of all deaths.
The top three contributors to all causes of death in the USA are tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity. Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, 43 of which are known cancer-causing compounds that increase the risk for cancers of the esophagus, bladder, lung, liver, cervix, kidney, pancreas, stomach and other organs. Diets low in fiber are associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to increased risk for developing cancers of the breast, esophagus, throat, liver and mouth
Diet and lifestyle factors are now a part of the new guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society which encourages people to increase exercise to about 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise to reduce their cancer risk. They also encourage people to reduce red meat consumption in the diet and eat more colorful fruits and vegetables along with strictly limiting alcohol consumption. There is also strong research out of Penn State University Medical School that supports a decreased
recurrence of breast cancer in women who exercise regularly after breast cancer treatment.
According to the Center for Disease Control ( CDC ) being overweight or having obesity increases the risk of getting 13 types of cancer which comprise 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the USA each year. The mechanism is believed to be related to chronic inflammation, increased levels of insulin, increased levels of insulin growth factor and increased levels of sex hormones. The greater the excess weight over a longer period of time, the greater the risk of cancer. This is why a whole food mostly plant-based diet and regular exercise are preventive for cancer development. Some of the cancers that are influenced by obesity are from the breast, esophagus, uterus, kidneys, gallbladder, ovaries, pancreas, thyroid and multiple myeloma.
In addition to healthy diets and healthy behaviors it is extremely important to work with your primary care health practitioner to arrange for screening test for breast cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer.
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