Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., but research shows that at least 42% of new cancer cases are potentially preventable

4 Things Oncologists Do Regularly to Lower Their Cancer Risk Oncologists break down what they do to lower their risk of cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., but research shows that at least 42% of new cancer cases are potentially preventable

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., but research shows that at least 42% of new cancer cases are potentially preventable.
• Oncologists share what they do to lower their risk of developing cancer, including exercising, reducing stress, and avoiding processed foods.

There are more than 2 million new cancer cases diagnosed each year in the U.S., and cancer is the country’s second leading cause of death.

But while the majority of cancers are caused by factors outside your control, at least 42% of new cases are potentially avoidable, according to the American Cancer Society.

Luckily, most strategies that can lower your risk of developing cancer can also improve your overall health. That’s why many oncologists—doctors who treat cancer—try to do what they can to follow them. “It’s what I think about every single day of my life,” Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist, chief of medicine, and director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, told Health.

We consulted four oncologists to learn more about their personal strategies for lowering their risk of developing cancer. Here’s what they shared.

‘I’ve Been Intentional About Having Fresher Foods’

Research has repeatedly linked ultra-processed foods—generally those with a long shelf life that include substances not found in traditional food prep, including added flavors, sweeteners, colors, and emulsifiers—with a higher risk of developing cancer, along with other health issues.

On the flip side, studies have found that eating a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables can help reduce your cancer risk.

That’s why Ernest Hawk, MD, MPH, vice president and head of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told Health that he tries to eat fewer prepared foods and more fruits and vegetables with every meal.

“Five years ago, I was about 30 pounds overweight,” he said. “I’ve been intentional with losing weight and keeping it off.” For him, that involves “relying on processed and restaurant foods less and developing ... meals that are primarily unprepared—fruits and vegetables—in nature.”

Hawk said he now spends a lot more time in the produce aisle at the grocery store. “I’m preparing more foods at home and bringing food to work,” he said. “I pick up cherry tomatoes and bring them to work to have rather than other things I used to eat, like prepared cookies. I’ve been intentional about having fresher foods.”

Hawk also said he’s trying to get in more steps, so he’ll often do two or three laps around the eighth floor of his hospital during a shift break to be more active. “Start early, live more intentionally, and pass it on to your friends and family,” he said. “You can never start early enough.”

‘I’ve Started Paying a Lot of Attention to Mindfulness’

Doing regular physical activity and avoiding processed foods are important to Bilchik. But he also said he’s actively trying to reduce levels of stress in his life.

“It’s well known that stress and the disruption of sleep patterns have a significant effect on the immune system and the body’s microbiome—and that increases the risk of getting cancer and cardiovascular diseases,” he said. “But I’m a cancer surgeon and my sleep patterns are awful. I’m woken up in the middle of the night to operate, and I do very big surgeries, which are stressful.”

Bilchik said he recognizes that some aspects of stress are outside of his control, but he’s doing what he can to destress. “I’ve started paying a lot of attention to mindfulness,” he said. “I never thought that I would be listening to meditation apps or that I would be trying to do meditation between difficult surgeries, but I do.”

He also said he’s making a point to “switch off” when he’s not at work. “Only very recently, when I go away, I stopped checking emails,” he said. “Physicians and workers, particularly in America, have trouble switching off. But these things play an important role in stress, burnout, and the burden of disease.”

‘I Try to Exercise at Least Four Days a Week and Preferably Five’

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physically active adults have a “significantly lower risk” of developing several common cancers, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, lung, and stomach.  

This reduced cancer risk is partly why staying active is important for Christine Teal, MD, an associate professor of surgery and director of the Breast Care Center at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates.

“I try to exercise at least four days a week and preferably five,” she told Health. For Teal, that means using an exercise video with 5-pound and 10-pound weights “and lots of movements that work the large muscles—legs, abs, glutes—which not only helps with bone health but helps boost the metabolism,” she said. 

On other days, she’ll jog around 2.5 miles or go for an hour-long walk.

Teal said she tries to fit in a lot of daily steps, too. “I try to get in as close to 10,000 steps [as] I can and often go for a walk on those days if the weather is nice,” she said.

Teal said she’s learned that she never regrets working out, which motivates her to stay consistent. “I may not always feel like doing a workout, but when I am done, I am always happy that I did it,” she said. “If it is a day that I am really tired, then at the very least, I make myself go for a brisk walk.”

‘I Try to Practice What I Preach’

There are a lot of different ways to lower your risk of cancer, and Jack Jacoub, MD, a medical oncologist and medical director of MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, California, told Health that he tries to focus on several of them.

“I try to practice what I preach,” he said. That starts with maintaining a healthy weight. “Because obesity is so tightly linked with the development of specific cancers, I try to maintain a reasonable BMI through exercise and diet modification,” he said.

“Exercise is beneficial not only for weight reduction but there’s also a lot of information that it helps with the body’s inflammation and mental disposition," Jacoub said. So, he aims to exercise “almost every day.” That includes 45 minutes to an hour each day of hot yoga, weight lifting, or cardiovascular exercises. “I try to mix it up,” he said.

Jacoub also doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke, and diet-wise, he said he tries to avoid red meat, along with processed and uncured meats. “There is a link between red and processed meats and certain cancers,” he said. “I try to eat a lot more fruits, vegetables, and nuts and limit processed foods.”

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Korin Miller