Cancer Prevention

On May 7^th, seventy-five SCA employees and family members in the Midwest will be participating in Sole Burner, a 5K run/walk which raises money for the American Cancer Society.  The event is sponsored in part by SCA and raised over $345,000 for cancer treatment and prevention last year. 

Since many of you are working on making healthier lifestyle choices already, this is a good opportunity to highlight the health behaviors that play a major role in cancer prevention.  While there are many different forms of cancer, each of these six key behaviors can decrease the risk of several cancer types.  Additionally, some of these behaviors can also help to prevent a variety of other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or stroke.  Additional resources and details about the Sole Burner event can be found at the bottom of this post.  You can post comments and participate in discussion below the post.  If you'd like to ask me a confidential question, please e-mail shaaz@corporatehealthsolutions.com.  

1. LIVE TOBACCO FREE

This is probably the single greatest cancer preventer and the most important decision you may make in terms of your health.  All forms of tobacco are associated with cancer risk.  Smokers tend to get cancer in the lungs, bladder, cervix or kidney, while smokeless tobacco users are more prone to cancers of the mouth, esophagus or pancreas.  If you are ready to quit or to start cutting back, contact me (email address located in profile) for resources to get started.  Here’s a place to begin: How to quit

2. EAT RIGHT

This one actually has 3 parts.  Much research has indicated that fruits and vegetables protect against a variety of cancers, including stomach, esophageal, lung, oral cavity and pharynx, endometrial, pancreatic, and colon.  The most effective are raw fruits and vegetables, dark green vegetables (ie. kale, spinach, collards, broccoli), carrots and tomatoes.  Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which cleanses the digestive track.  They are also high in antioxidants, which reverse the oxidative cancer-causing process.  These foods are naturally low in calories and can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight, which also reduces cancer risk.

Minimizing dietary fat from animal sources can also reduce risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancers.  This especially includes red meat, which should be limited to 1-2 times per week, but also includes dairy, eggs and poultry.  When eating dairy, aim for low or non-fat options.  Choose egg whites or egg beaters when possible, and eat white meat poultry without the high-fat skin.  Fats from plants (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.) and fish do no raise cancer risk and have a variety of other health benefits.  Here’s a good resource to learn more about healthy eating: What should you eat?

Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption reduces risk of cancers to the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver.  For most people, a healthy rate of consumption is no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.  A drink is considered to be one shot of liquor, one glass of wine, or one 12 oz. beer.  Here’s more information about alcohol and cancer.  If you are having trouble reducing your alcohol consumption, contact your employee assistance program or ask me for more information.

3. EXERCISE

Staying physically active can reduce risk of breast, colon, prostate, uterus, and lung cancer.  The evidence for decreasing lung cancer risk is stronger in men than women.  The US Surgeon General recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week for all adults.  Regular physical activity may also increase survivorship and quality of life for people with a cancer diagnosis.  If you have questions about exercise, let me know.

4. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Eating the right foods, minimizing alcohol consumption, and staying physically active can all play a role in maintaining a healthy weight.  Independent of these behaviors, a healthy weight is good cancer prevention, especially for breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney cancers.  If you are eating healthy food and exercising regularly, you may also need to watch portion sizes to reach your weight goals.  I recommend listening to your body’s hunger signals, which means only eating when you are truly hungry and stopping BEFORE you become full.  If this is challenging, you may want to try tracking calories.  If you are interested in more information about hunger signals, calorie recommendations or portions sizes, let me know.

Use this tool to determine if you’re a healthy weight.

5. PROTECT SKIN FROM SUN EXPOSURE

Especially during these warmer months or if you spend a lot of time outdoors, it is important to use sunscreen on all exposed skin.  An SPF of 30 or more is recommended with reapplication every two hours.  A hat, sun umbrella and/or lightweight cover-up can provide even better protection.  If you are participating in outdoor physical activities, choose a high SPF, sweat-proof sunscreen that can last through the activity.

6. SELF-EXAMS AND SCREENING TESTS

Keeping an eye out for early signs through your own body awareness and medical tests can catch cancer before it starts or in its earliest and most treatable stages.

If you have a family history of skin cancer or many skin irregularities, you may wish to visit a dermatologist annually for a thorough skin cancer screening.  You can also examine your own skin.  Look for any of the following abnormalities:

ASYMMETRY- one half is unlike the other

BORDER- an irregular or poorly defined border

COLOR- two or more colors are present

DIAMETER- larger than a pencil eraser

EVOLVING- If it is growing in size or changing in its characteristics

If you notice one or more of these characteristics on your skin, see a dermatologist for further evaluation.  Here's more information about skin cancer.

Prostate cancer screening includes a simple blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).  If you are a male over 50, this was part of your annual health assessment blood draw.  If you have a history of prostate cancer in your family, you may wish to have the PSA test a bit earlier.  During an annual check-up, your family doctor may also check your prostate for any enlargement or irregularity.  This is what you can expect in a prostate exam.

Breast cancer screening is done through annual mammograms after age 40 (or younger with family history of breast cancer).  Women of all ages should also perform monthly breast self exams (BSEs) to look for any lumps or changes.  This interactive video provides more information about BSE's.

It is also recommended that women over 21 see a gynecologist annually for a clinical breast exam and Pap test, which can detect cervical cancer. 

The gold standard for assessing colon cancer risk is a colonoscopy, which is recommended at age 50.  If no abnormalities are detected, this can be repeated every 10 years.  If any abnormalities are found, more frequent testing may be advised.  Your family doctor can arrange for a colonoscopy.  To learn more, see colonoscopies.

If you are interested in getting up to date with cancer screenings and do not have a family doctor, see your human resources staff for a list of eligible doctors in your area.

SOLE BURNER

If you live in the Midwest and would like to attend Sole Burner to watch the race and cheer on your fellow SCA employees, here are the details:

29^th annual Sole Burner 5K Run/Walk

May 7^th, 2011

8:15am- First Event Begins

10:15am- Awards Ceremony

Appleton, WI

Website: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/CommunityFundraisingPages/CFPFY10Midwest?sid=1730&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=35019

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org

National Cancer Institute: www.cancer.gov

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: www.komen.org