Although the chances of getting cancer go up as your parent gets older, there are things that he or she can do to prevent it. Experts think that about two-thirds of all cancers may be linked to things we can control, especially use of tobacco and what we eat and drink. Having a lot of contact with some chemicals, metals, or pesticides (weed killers and insect killers) can also make your risk of cancer higher. Risk of cancer can be lowered in several ways:
- Do not use tobacco products. Tobacco causes cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco, using smokeless tobacco, and passive smoking (often breathing other people's tobacco smoke) cause a third of all cancer deaths in the United States each year.
- Avoid sunburns. Too much ultraviolet radiation from the sun and from other sources -- such as sunlamps and tanning booths -- damages the skin and can cause skin cancer.
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Eat right. Have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Also cut down on fatty foods and eat plenty of fiber.
- Keep weight down. People who are very overweight are more likely to get cancers of the prostate, pancreas, uterus, colon, and ovary. Older women who are overweight are more likely to develop breast cancer.
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Stay active. Studies show that exercise can help lower the chance of getting breast and colon cancer and perhaps other cancers too.
- If your parent drinks alcohol, don't have more than one or two drinks a day. Drinking large amounts of alcohol raises the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx. People who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol have an especially high risk of getting these cancers.
- Follow work and safety rules to avoid dangerous contact with materials that cause cancer.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institute of Health (NIH) leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life.