Did you know that 1 out of 3 cancers may be preventable through healthier lifestyle choices? World Cancer Day is February 4, 2014. This is an opportunity to increase awareness about the importance of healthier behaviors and early detection.
As a young adult, I thought that I was invincible. I believed that cancer was something that happened later in life. And it was something that happened to “other” people… certainly not me. Boy, was I wrong.
I was diagnosed with melanoma, the most malignant form of skin cancer, at the age of 27. I hadn’t sunbathed in years, but the poor choices of my youth had come back to pay me a visit. At the time, I was pregnant with my first child and melanoma was the last thing that I wanted to think about. I faced thoughts and fears of death, and of losing my child.
Fortunately, we detected and treated my melanoma early and I was given a favorable prognosis. But I learned the hard way that our choices early in life CAN and WILL affect us later.
Check out this World Cancer Day Video about some steps that you can start to make today (click image):
The American Institute for Cancer Research also provides the following guidelines for reducing your risk for multiple forms of cancer:
Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines
Special Population Recommendations
And always remember – do not smoke or chew tobacco.
visit www.aicr.org for more information