How to prevent cancer ?

Here are few simple ways of reducing your chances of getting cancer:

Lose excess weight

Get more exercise / increase the level of physical activity

Eat a healthy diet

Stop smoking

Though these look simple, and known for ages, it is difficult to practice, because it requires a change in the behavior. But it is worth the effort, as these basic behavior changes would have a tremendous impact on the incidence of the most prevalent type of cancer- lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer, reports science daily based on the news release issued by Washington university school of medicine in St Louis.

The statistics are alarming. Every year, more than 500,000 Americans die from cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that on average each person who dies from cancer loses 15 years of life, and altogether cancer deaths were responsible for nearly 8.7 million person-years of life lost in 2003, the most recent year for which the data were available.

The recommendations for preventing cancer also include avoiding excess alcohol consumption, taking a multivitamin with folate and protecting yourself from too much sun and from sexually transmitted diseases.