Most cancers are preventable

Know most cancers are preventable. Cancer isn't all genetics or bad luck. Research confirms more than half of cancer in the U.S. is preventable. The top preventable causes of cancer are lifestyle choices: smoking, obesity, diet, and lack of physical activity (PDF). In 2011, there were 572,000 deaths from cancer. That's at least 286,000 people that could be alive today had they modified just one of those risk factors. We as a society need to make changes in the way we live and shift our thinking about cancer prevention and wellness.
Act now to prevent cancer later. Research shows that certain cancers, like pancreatic, colon, and cervical, can take more than 20 years to develop. Think of changes to the cancer risk factors in our lives as medicine we take now to improve our health years down the road. Help stop cancer in children and young adults as well. In addition to the lifestyle choices above, some of the best early prevention activities include vaccinations (since viruses cause 15 percent of cancers worldwide), minimizing sun exposure, and, for girls, avoiding alcohol and increasing physical activity during adolescence (which significantly increases the risk of benign breast disease, a precursor to breast cancer) (PDF).