Taking control: Lifestyle tips to reduce your cancer risk

While a cancer diagnosis can trigger feelings of helplessness or fate, a great many cases are linked to lifestyle choices.

According to Mikkael A. Sekeres, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, about 40 percent of cancer cases are preventable through lifestyle changes. It means we have the power to take our health into our own hands, proactively preventing illness by adopting healthy habits, rather than reacting to symptoms after they appear.

One of the simplest yet most effective steps we can take is making changes in our diet. 

Research consistently shows that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains offers protection. For example, a study in the British Journal of Cancer found that high consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, was associated with a reduced risk of several forms of cancer. 

Maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial. According to China's National Health Commission (NHC), the rate of adults being classified as overweight or obesity could reach 65.3 percent by 2030, making obesity prevention a key focus in chronic disease prevention and management.

In June 2024, the NHC launched the "Weight Management Year" initiative, a three-year plan as part of the Healthy China strategy to improve public health awareness, promote healthy lifestyles and create supportive environments for sustained weight control. 

Quitting smoking and cutting down on drinks are among the most crucial steps in ensuring better health. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), harmful use of alcohol ranks among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and early death worldwide, and alcohol consumption is related to approximately 230 health conditions, including infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases, and injuries.

Quitting smoking, even later in life, can significantly lower one's risk, Dr. Sekeres suggests. And Therese Bevers, M.D., from MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center, adds that "there is no alcoholic drink that is better than the other," since all types of alcohol contain ethanol, a known cancer risk factor.