Cancer Prevention

February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

If your New Year’s fervor to get healthy is already losing steam, February—National Cancer Prevention Month—is a great time to give yourself a second chance. This month, take a moment to figure out some small steps you can take to get healthier and happier, and reduce your cancer risk. 

Although you likely hear the word cancer all the time, many people have a hard time defining exactly what cancer means. In its most basic form, cancer is a term used to describe a disease where abnormal cells divide uncontrollably to invade other cells and tissues.

There are more than 100 different types of cancer and it can affect just about every organ in the human body. Some types of cancer are more common than others, but everyone is at risk. In 2011, it’s estimated that nearly 1.6 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed.^[1] In the United States, that means you have a one in two chance of being diagnosed with cancer during your lifetime.^[2]

Less than 10 percent of cancers are hereditary.^[3] Much of your cancer risk will be directly impacted by your lifestyle choices, the foods you eat and your physical activity levels. Here are some quick tips to help reduce you and your family’s risk for cancer:

• Eat healthier: Start small by adding a few servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet each day. Eat less red meat and smaller portions. The Healthy Weighs for Life weight management program offered by Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) is also available online. This self-paced tool offers a variety of techniques to assist you in making gradual lifestyle changes that lead to long-term weight maintenance and overall good health.
• Get active: Physical activity can reduce your risk of colon cancer by about 50 percent and it plays a role in lowering the risk of other cancers. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from your destination, or walk or ride your bike to work.
• Quit smoking: Nearly one-third of cancer deaths are attributed to smoking. Try HNFS' free recorded class to help you quit smoking.
• Get screened: Screening can catch many cancers before they start, or at their earliest, most treatable stages. With TRICARE, important preventive screening services, such as mammograms, Pap smears, also known as Pap tests, and colonoscopies are available at no cost when you receive these services from a network provider.
• These simple steps offer many different health benefits, and National Cancer Prevention Month is as good a time as any to start putting them into action. Take cancer prevention into your own hands, starting today.

^{[1] The American Cancer Society. (2011). Cancer Facts & Figures 2011. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-figures-2011
[2] SEER Stat Fact Sheets: All Sites. (November 10, 2011). National Cancer Institute. Retrieved from http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html#risk
[3] Heredity and Cancer. (2009). The American Cancer Society. Retrieved fromhttp://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/GeneticsandCancer/heredity-and-cancer}