How to Be Part of Reducing Cancer Deaths
Cancer deaths have dropped 27 percent over the past 25 years, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society . Smoking is a big part of that (the number of deaths from lung cancer is down), and procedures have gotten better over the decades.
There are many types of cancer, and the big picture is complex. The report says the race mortality gap is closing (hurray), but the socioeconomic gap is widening (hurray). There is no guarantee that you will not get cancer, but the trends in the report suggest several actions:
- Quit smoking or don’t start. Fewer people are dying of lung cancer now than a few decades ago, and this is largely due to the spread of smoking.
- Get tested for colon cancer . With better screening and better treatment, fewer people die from colon cancer. Screening can include colonoscopy or stool analysis, and you can learn more about this here .
- Forget early breast cancer. Mammograms have their pros and cons depending on your age and cancer risk, but when used correctly, they can detect cancer early. Breast self-examination is no longer recommended as it does not seem to help in the long term, but you should still check for obvious changes.
- Eat well and exercise well. Many types of cancer are associated with obesity for reasons that are not well understood. A healthy weight improves your chances.
- Get vaccinated against HPV and get screened for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, but there is also a difference in who dies from it: the poorer you are, the less likely you are to be vaccinated or not tested. This reflects an injustice in our society, but if you are looking for measures to protect yourself, get a vaccine and / or tests if needed. They are free on almost all insurance plans .