Cancer prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk

1. Don't use tobacco

Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, bladder, cervix and kidney. And chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don't use tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.
Avoiding tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention. If you need help quitting tobacco, ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies for quitting.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Although making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't guarantee cancer prevention, it might help reduce your risk. Consider these guidelines:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans.
• Limit fat. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and might increase the risk of overweight or obesity — which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.
• If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly.

3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active

Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.
Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
Adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits. But for substantial health benefits, strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity. You can also do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better.

4. Protect yourself from the sun

Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer — and one of the most preventable. Try these tips:

• Avoid midday sun. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
• Stay in the shade. When you're outdoors, stay in the shade as much as possible. Sunglasses and a broad-rimmed hat help, too.
• Cover exposed areas. Wear tightly woven, loosefitting clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible. Opt for bright or dark colors, which reflect more ultraviolet radiation than pastels or bleached cotton.
• Don't skimp on sunscreen. Use generous amounts of sunscreen when you're outdoors, and reapply often.
• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. These are just as damaging as natural sunlight.

5. Get immunized

Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections. Talk to your doctor about immunization against:

• Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for certain high-risk adults — such as adults who are sexually active but not in a mutually monogamous relationship, people with sexually transmitted infections, intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, and health care or public safety workers who might be exposed to infected blood or body fluids.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical and other genital cancers as well as squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is available to both men and women age 26 or younger who didn't have the vaccine as adolescents.

6. Avoid risky behaviors

Another effective cancer prevention tactic is to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to infections that, in turn, might increase the risk of cancer. For example:

• Practice safe sex. Limit your number of sexual partners, and use a condom when you have sex. The more sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to contract a sexually transmitted infection — such as HIV or HPV. People who have HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver and lung. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer, but it might also increase the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina.
• Don't share needles. Sharing needles with an infected drug user can lead to HIV, as well as hepatitis B and hepatitis C — which can increase the risk of liver cancer. If you're concerned about drug abuse or addiction, seek professional help.

7. Get regular medical care

Regular self-exams and screenings for various types of cancers — such as cancer of the skin, colon, prostate, cervix and breast — can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful. Ask your doctor about the best cancer screening schedule for you.
Take cancer prevention into your own hands, starting today. The rewards will last a lifetime.

hospitals in South Africa (Cecilia Makiwane Hospital)

Cecilia Makiwane Hospital is a large provincial government funded hospital situated in the Mdantsane township of East London, Eastern Cape in South Africa. It is a tertiary teaching hospital and forms part of the East London Hospital Complex.

Departments & Services

The hospital's departments include: Emergency department, Paediatric ward, Maternity ward, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Out Patients Department, Surgical Services, Medical Services, Operating Theatre & CSSD Services, Pharmacy, Anti-Retroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV/AIDS, Post Trauma Counseling Services, Occupational Services, X-Ray Services, Physiotherapy, NHLS Laboratory, Oral Health Care Provides, Laundry Services, Kitchen Services and Mortuary.

Black Women At Greater Risk Of Cervical Cancer

Black women at greater risk of cervical cancer

Black women in South Africa are at a greater risk of contracting cervical cancer, a disease that kills 3 000 every year. Professor Harald zur Hausen, 2008 Nobel Laureate and the man credited for identifying the link between human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical cancer, will deliver a series of public lectures at Wits University from Wednesday to Friday. About 21% of women in SA contract cervical cancer at any given time, and 62.8% of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to HPV subtypes 16 and 18.

What are the main causes of cancer in South Africa?

 

 

Smoking:

Worldwide, the most common cause of cancer is smoking. About one out of every three cancer cases is owed to smoking. South Africa has progressive anti-tobacco legislation, but one of the areas activists say can improve is the regulation of smoking at home. Many advocates believe it should legally be possible to ban smoking at home, particularly in cases where domestic workers are employed. Cleaners and domestic helpers should have the right to smoke-free working environments, they say. Smoking at home is also extremely harmful to children. In the city of Belmont, California, smoking inside flats and townhouses has been declared illegal to protect neighbours.

Viruses:

Viruses such as hepatitis B, which causes liver cancer, and HPV, which leads to cervical cancer – cause about 20% of cancers. Cervical cancer claims the lives of more than 3400 South African women a year. Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to develop cervical cancer. Unequal access to preventive services such as annual pap smears plays a significant part in this. An HPV vaccine, of which three shots are needed, is available in the private sector. It significantly reduces the risk of women getting cervical cancer. In 1996 the government was the first in Africa to fund the vaccination of every child for hepatitis B and this is likely to lead to the eradication of liver cancer within the next 20 years in the country.

Chemicals:

Chemicals are responsible for about 15% of cancer cases. Man-made chemicals such Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to make certain types of plastic, are strongly linked to breast cancer. Last year, the government banned the use of BPA in baby bottles. Certain types of cling wrap also contain plasticisers that can cause cancer.

Water:

Water particularly in Tlokwe municipality (Potchefstroom), has been found to contain radioactive elements such as uranium. Excessive exposure to uranium is associated with certain types of cancer, including leukaemia.

Obesity:

Being excessively overweight is strongly associated with the development of cancer. About 15% of cancer cases are linked to it. Obesity often leads to so-called systemic inflammation, when white blood cells invade fat tissue, which is the body’s way of reacting to too many fat cells. Systemic inflammation is one of the preconditions for the development of cancer; it is basically a breeding ground for it.

Alcohol:

About 3% of European cancer cases in women are associated with alcohol compared with 10% in men in countries such as Germany. Drinking moderately – one to two alcohol units a day – is fine. More than that brings trouble. Binge drinking is more dangerous because the sudden spikes of alcohol in your body often cause more damage than constant exposure.

Sunlight:

Skin cancers are generally considered trivial, except when melanomas, which are characterised by darker skin pigment, are involved. Melanoma causes about 5% of cancer cases. Too much sun exposure causes normal skin cells to become abnormal. These abnormal cells quickly grow out of control and attack the tissue around them. CANSA commissioned a study, which revealed that most locally manufactured sun-block creams or oils contain amounts of ultraviolet-A filter too low for adequate protection against the sun. The sun protection factor on sun block is an indication of ultraviolet-B protection. The chemicals needed for ultraviolet-A protection are significantly more costly and therefore often not included in high quantities.