10 valuable tips for prevention
1- Don’t smoke! This is the most important rule to prevent cancer, especially in the lung, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and esophagus. When smoking, more than 4,700 toxic and carcinogenic substances are released into the environment that are inhaled by smokers and non-smokers. Quitting smoking (and polluting the environment) is critical to cancer prevention.
2- Healthy eating protects against cancer. Food should be varied, balanced, tasty, respecting the culture and providing pleasure and health. Fruits, vegetables, greens, whole grains and beans are the main protective foods. Eating these foods daily can prevent the development of cancer.
3- Maintain proper body weight. Being overweight increases your chances of developing cancer. That’s why it’s important to control your weight through good nutrition and stay active. About a third of all cancer cases can be prevented by eating healthy, maintaining proper body weight, and exercising.
4- Practice physical activities daily. Physical activity is the initiative to move according to one’s routine. You can, for example, walk, dance, change the elevator for the stairs, take the dog for a walk, take care of the house or garden.
5- Breastfeed. Breastfeeding is the first healthy diet for human beings. Exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months of life protects mothers against breast cancer and children against childhood obesity. From then onwards, breastfeeding should be supplemented with other healthy foods until the age of two or more.
6- Women between 25 and 64 years old must have a preventive gynecological exam every three years. Changes in the cells of the uterus are easily discovered in the preventive exam (also known as Pap smear) and curable in almost all cases. Therefore, it is important to carry out this exam periodically, to know the result and to follow the medical guidelines.
7- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. Its consumption, in any amount, contributes to the risk of developing cancer. Furthermore, combining alcoholic beverages with tobacco increases the possibility of developing the disease.
8- Avoid exposure to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm and always use adequate protection, such as a hat, tent and sunscreen, including on the lips. If exposure to the sun during the workday is unavoidable, wear a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
9- Vaccinate girls aged 9 to 14 and boys aged 11 to 14 against HPV. Since 2014, the Ministry of Health has implemented the vaccine against HPV for girls aged 9 to 13 years. Vaccination and preventive examination (Papanicolaou) complement each other as actions to prevent cervical cancer. Even vaccinated women, when they reach the age of 25, must have a preventive test every three years, as the vaccine does not protect against all HPV subtypes.
10- Follow up with your doctor and perform the preventive exams or screening exams recommended regularly.