Prevent Cancer With Lifestyle Choices

Strategies for Cancer Prevention

Cancer is often discussed as something unpredictable or unavoidable. However, throughout the book, Dear God Bless This Mess Too: A Christian's Guide to Navigate our Toxic Environment, you may have noticed many chemical exposures are linked to increased risks of cancer. In addition to limiting your environmental exposures, a growing body of research suggests that many cancer risks are closely tied to other everyday lifestyle choices. Two important scientific reviews help clarify additional aspects that matter most when it comes to cancer prevention.

A recent 2024 review published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Innovations, Quality & Outcomes highlights the powerful role of diet and physical activity in cancer risk and outcomes. Regular movement and healthier eating patterns are associated with lower rates of several common cancers, as well as improved quality of life after diagnosis. While researchers continue studying how these behaviors interact, it’s more apparent that our daily habits matter more than we may realize. Since only up to 10% of cancer cases are due to inherited genes, how you care for your body as an individual matters more.

Regarding eating patterns, it's best to consume a diet that supports maintaining normal blood sugar and insulin levels. It's also relevant to note that having high stress can cause a hormonal response that could also increase blood sugar and insulin levels - even without eating any ice cream! Thus, managing stress with deep breathing exercises, career changes, or ending relationships that don't nourish your soul may be effective as well.

An earlier but still influential article published in Pharmaceutical Research reinforces this point by emphasizing that a large percentage of cancers are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors. Smoking, poor diet, excess alcohol, inactivity, and obesity were identified as major contributors. Importantly, the authors argue that addressing these factors could prevent a significant number of cancer cases worldwide.

Taken together, these studies suggest that cancer prevention is not about perfection, but about consistent, informed choices over time. Supporting the body through movement, nourishing foods, and healthier routines can meaningfully reduce risk and support long-term health. Cancer prevention, in many ways, begins long before illness ever appears, and now you know what to do!

References:

Sharman R, Harris Z, Ernst B, Mussallem D, Larsen A, Gowin K. Lifestyle Factors and Cancer: A Narrative Review. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2024;8(2):166-183. Published 2024 Mar 4. doi:10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2024.01.004

Anand P, Kunnumakkara AB, Sundaram C, et al. Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes. Pharm Res. 2008;25(9):2097-2116. doi:10.1007/s11095-008-9661-9...