Your New Year’s resolutions may help reduce cancer risk

Quitting smoking

Oddly, quitting smoking was not among the top 10 resolutions a recent YouGov poll listed as the most common, though it is on other lists.

If you smoke, you may want to consider adding it to your list of resolutions.

In fact, quitting smoking may be single-most important lifestyle change you can make to reduce your risk for developing cancer.

Tobacco smoking is linked to 85 percent of all lung cancers and one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of them toxic, that may cause DNA damage, which in turn may lead to abnormal cell growth and, eventually, a tumor. The damage from tobacco smoke is not confined to the mouth, throat or lungs. Toxins from tobacco smoke travel through the bloodstream, increasing the risk for developing cancer to the bladder, pancreas, breasts and other organs.

If you think it’s too late to quit, consider these facts from the CDC:

Quitting halves risks: Your chance of developing cancer of the cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder is cut in half within five years of quitting.

Death risk falls: Your risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half within 10 years of quitting.

Getting more exercise

Multiple studies have shown a clear link between exercise and decreased cancer risk. One study published in December 2019 examined data from more than 750,000 people over 10 years. It found that participants who are physically active for at least 7.5 hours a week reduced their risk for developing several cancers, including those of the colorectal, breast, uterus, kidney and liver, as well as blood cancers like multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“Health care providers, fitness professionals, and public health practitioners should encourage adults to adopt and maintain physical activity at recommended levels to lower risks of multiple cancers,” the study’s authors suggested.

Regular exercise impacts several bodily functions that may improve your overall health. Exercise lowers the levels of certain hormones, such as estrogen, that may increase cancer risk. It helps reduce weight and prevent obesity, which is linked to many cancers.

Physical activity may also help support the immune system, reduce inflammation and slow tumor growth.

“There are studies indicating a reduction in the rate of tumor growth with regular exercise,” says Anthony Perre, MD, new patient intake physician at City of Hope^® Cancer Center Atlanta. “Theoretically, exercise may increase levels of the hormone catecholamine, which may reduce the ability of the cancer cells to form tumors in distant sites. Endurance exercise may also impact signaling pathways that increase tumor growth. Exercise may also affect immune function, namely the ability for natural killer cells and the immune system to be able to identify and kill cancer cells.”

Eating healthy

The link between diet and cancer risk may be difficult to document because of a variety of factors that make direct connections hard to determine, including the infinite combinations of food and beverages and the multiple compounds and substances found in food.

However, research has shown that a healthy diet is essential for overall health and may reduce your risk for developing certain cancers. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) cites several studies that suggest a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables (cabbages, leafy greens, broccoli) may help reduce the risk of several cancers.

Diets high in fiber and low in processed and charred meats are also associated with lower cancer risk.

Reducing alcohol consumption—another common New Year’s resolution—may also help reduce cancer risk. Excessive drinking increases the risks for developing several cancers, including head and neck, esophageal, colorectal, liver and female breast cancer.

Losing weight

According to the CDC, obesity is linked to at least 13 types of cancer, including breast, liver, kidney, esophageal and colorectal. But how does being overweight increase your cancer risk? Obesity is linked to the production of certain hormones, such as insulin and estrogen, which may increase risk. Also, those who are obese may also have chronic inflammation, another known risk factor for cancer.

Obesity also has been linked to poor outcomes for patients with cancer. A 2017 study in California concluded that chemotherapy may be less effective in some obese patients. Research indicated that fat cells may absorb chemotherapy drugs and break them down.

Reducing stress

Under stress, the body produces hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol intended to help us deal with whatever crisis we may be facing.

Stress may often trigger a number of visible physical responses, such as a furrowed brow, hunched shoulders, sweat, fidgeting or pacing. Internally, stress sets off a series of metabolic or cellular reactions that, left unaddressed, may have an effect on our ability to fight off disease.

While there is no direct evidence that chronic stress causes cancer, it may inhibit the immune system and/or promote chronic inflammation, which may increase cancer risk. Research also shows that chronic stress may promote tumor growth or metastasis.

Stress may also trigger unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, excessive drinking or overeating, resulting in obesity, all of which are linked to cancer.