Cancer Screening & Risk Reduction

Why does Healthy Eating Matter?

• Supports the immune system to better heal and stay strong
• Helps you feel better during treatments
• Helps to keep your muscles and body healthy
• Helps to lower your risk of cancer and to live longer

Tips for Healthy Eating:

• There is no one perfect diet for everyone. What matters most is finding small, healthy changes you can stick with and building habits that work for your life.
• Plant-forward diet: emphasize vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, and nuts
• Lean proteins (fish, poultry, soy, legumes)
• Limit or avoid red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods

Staying Active. Physical Activity:

• Being active is one of the best things you can do for your health.
• Regular physical activity helps control your weight, keeps your heart and muscles strong, and boosts your energy. It can lower inflammation and your risk of many cancers.
• Staying active may help your body work better during treatment and recover faster afterward.

Sun Exposure and Skin Safety:

You can’t avoid sunlight entirely, but you can limit UV exposure with a few simple steps:

• Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours.
• Wear long sleeves, pants, and a wide-brimmed hat.
• Use UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 on uncovered skin.
• Avoid tanning beds, sunlamps, and other artificial UV sources.
• Use protective clothing or UV shields if exposed to UV at work.

Do skin self-exams often and let your provider know of any concerns. How to do self-exams is described below.

Protect Your Skin From UV Rays:

• Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head, face and neck
• Wear sunglasses that block UV rays to protect your eyes and the skin and the skin around them
• Use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to help protect skin that isn’t covered with clothing

Alcohol and Tobacco Harm Reduction:

• Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer. It is the third most common potentially avoidable cause of cancer, after cigarette smoking and excess body weight.
• Avoiding the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs is the safest choice in cancer prevention.
• Talk to your care team. Everyone’s journey is different. Whether you are ready to quit or just thinking about making a change, we are here to listen and support you in taking the next step that feels right for you.