What can you do to lower your risk and prevent cancer from stealing your life or the life of someone you love? In order to conquer this disease, what you need is knowledge. Informing yourself of important cancer facts and understanding who is most at risk, as well as the factors that increase your cancer risk will reduce your risk significantly. Here are 12 cancer facts you need to pay attention to.
Research suggests that only 5% of cancers are hereditary. This indicates that many cancers are caused by the lifestyle choices we make. The food we eat and our physical activity levels have a direct impact on our overall cancer risk.
Factors such as pollution, heavy metal, toxicity and household cleaning products can increase your risk of cancer.
Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until the cancer has spread. But some people with early lung cancer do notice symptoms like a cough that does not go away, chest pain that gets worse with deep breathing, coughing or laughing, weight loss and loss of appetite, and more.
Sleeping through the night provides many health benefits to the body. It is one of the most underestimated ways to keep your body strong and cancer-free.
Cancer causes more deaths than malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS combined.
Research shows that survival rates for lung cancer are less than 2%.
While anyone can develop cancer, the risk of getting it increases with age. Most cases tend to occur in middle-aged adults or older.
Studies indicate that the possible reason obesity is linked to cancer is because of increased levels of insulin and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) which may help some cancers develop.
Though contrary to popular belief, sun exposure is actually good for you. Spending about 30 minutes of early morning or late afternoon sun on your hands and face is enough to get your recommended dose of vitamin D.
This is known as apoptosis or 'cell suicide'.