Oncology

Cancer Prevention

MetroWest Medical Center stresses the importance of cancer screenings and lifestyle changes to reduce preventable cancer. MetroWest offers preventative screenings for cancers such as colon and breast. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1.9 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. Nearly half of those diagnoses are breast, prostate, lung, pancreas, or colon cancers. More than 40 percent of all cancers and half of all deaths from cancer in the United States can be attributed to personal choices, including smoking, physical inactivity, and excessive exposure to the sun.

Making healthy decisions can lessen the odds of developing cancer. Five of the top things that can be done to decrease cancer risk include:

• Regular exercise
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating healthy foods
• Quitting or never starting smoking
• Limiting alcohol use

Other actions that help to prevent cancer, or catch it early, include routine checkups and cancer screenings, treating or preventing other health conditions, and knowing personal risk factors.