Take Control of Your Cancer Risk

Book Preface

“YOU HAVE CANCER.” The three scariest words to hear.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a condition such as heart disease or diabetes, you might have thought, Well, at least it’s not cancer. We still dread a cancer diagnosis. That’s justified because, despite a war on cancer launched nearly fifty years ago, cancer remains a leading cause of death. While it’s true that we have witnessed a tremendous explosion of new drugs and treatments that target specific cancer cells, treatment is no walk in the park. It may cure you, but it may also decrease your quality of life and shorten it.
The biggest myth I hear regarding cancer is that it’s mostly caused by genetics. That is so wrong! Although genetics plays a role in whether you’ll develop cancer, most experts agree it accounts for less than 20 percent of cancer. The little-known truth is that lifestyle and the environment play the major roles. Let me phrase that another way: what you eat, how you exercise, how much you sleep, your outlook on life, where you live, and how you live mostly determines whether you get cancer.
We need a mindset change from “I hope I don’t get cancer” to “How I can prevent cancer?”
Believe it not, you have the power to reduce your risk of many cancers. We have more data now than ever before showing what you can do—what you need to do—to prevent a cancer diagnosis.
I want you to think about cancer in the same way you do heart disease or stroke. Even if your parents had a heart attack, you don’t think you’re automatically destined to the same fate. Rather, I bet you try to keep your weight under control, watch your blood pressure and cholesterol level, and might even try to increase your physical activity. You’re playing a proactive role in whether you’ll have a heart attack or become debilitated from a stroke. The approach to cancer should be the same because your decisions play a major role in your risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Of course, nothing is 100 percent effective, but science can now show you how to reduce your personal risk.

Also, I want to highlight at least one important difference with cancer. Unlike with heart attacks or stroke, with cancer, you don’t often get a second chance to make those lifestyle changes. That’s why it is so important for you to understand the power you have in creating your personal cancer prevention program.
Today, medical professionals recognize cancer as not one disease but more a collection of different diseases. And we know with good certainty what strategies can help decrease the risk for different types of cancer. It’s not the same exact recommendations for breast cancer as for colon cancer or even for ovarian cancer or prostate cancer. There are similarities, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Even when you practice prevention, you still need to know how to recognize cancer signs and symptoms. Just because you don’t smoke doesn’t mean you won’t get lung cancer. How do you know when a chronic cough is a lingering viral illness versus something more serious? When should you be concerned about unintentional weight loss in yourself or a loved one? I’ll give you answers to these questions, and much more.
One important proactive strategy for cancer prevention is screenings. However, the screening process can be confusing. When should you get screened, and for what cancers? Which test is best? Too many patients have told me they don’t need to get mammography or colonoscopy because “it doesn’t run in their family” or “I’m fine. I don’t have any symptoms.” That should never be your reasoning. To help prevent cancer, it’s critical to be screened for the different types. And currently, it seems that we need to be screening for some cancers much earlier than we previously thought.
You’re also likely aware of other factors that contribute to minimizing risk for different cancer types, including but not limited to diet, exercise, sleep, and attitude. For instance, you may know that it’s good to eat a “healthy” diet, but what does that really mean? With exercise, does it matter what type you do, or is any increase in movement sufficient? How do you know if you’re getting too much or too little sleep? Can a positive attitude reduce your cancer risk?
So, what exactly do you do? How do you empower yourself to make the right decisions? It can be hard to know where to begin, and the cacophony of different “experts” espousing often conflicting advice can be confusing. Some of it is hype; some of it is shameless marketing; and some of it is excellent information based on the latest science. That’s why it’s important to rely on credible, trustworthy sources. It is your body and your life—and you deserve the best information, which will lead to better health.

That’s where this book comes into play. Take Control of Your Cancer Risk is your essential guide to the most up-to-date information, backed by science. It distills the data and information to the most relevant, salient points, so you can understand and implement.

Let’s get started.