By Annie Angle, cancer nurse, Dip. Oncology Nursing, Royal Marsden, London
Reviewed by: Dr Michael Jefford MBBS, MPH, MHlthsevMt, PhD, MRACMA, FRACP
Consultant Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Protect yourself in the sun (be SunSmart)
Many cancer survivors decide that they want to live a healthier lifestyle than they did before they got cancer. They look for ways to reduce the chance of their cancer coming back and preventing a new cancer developing. You may begin to look at eating a healthier diet, doing more exercise and trying to lessen the amount of stress in your life.
It is uncertain whether these measures will stop your cancer from coming back but they can certainly make you feel better. Results from large international research studies are telling us that there are lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your risk of developing health problems, and possibly lower the risk of developing cancer recurrence.
More than 10,000 Australians are diagnosed with a smoking-related cancer each year. Lung cancer is the most common, but smoking is also closely linked to cancer of the bladder, kidney, mouth, stomach and oesophagus.
Stopping smoking is not easy but if you want to prevent cancer then quitting is a great start. For information and support with trying to stop smoking, call the Quitline on 13 7848 and ask for a free Quit pack to be mailed to you. Or a trained Quitline adviser can help you with practical and expert advice. You can also log on to the Quit website, www.quit.org.au for helpful advice and information on quitting.
Only you can stop you smoking-but lots of encouragement and support can make it easier.
Most cancers diagnosed in Australia each year are skin cancers. Every year, more than 1200 Australians die from skin cancer. Yet it is almost totally preventable.
Use shade when you can, especially when UV radiation is high: between 10 am and 3 pm. Wear hats that shade your face and neck, loose-fitting protective clothing and sunglasses. Wrap-around glasses are best. Keep kids out of the sun and always use sun protection on them.
Check the SunSmart UV Alert reported daily in newspaper weather forecasts across Australia. This tells you when UV radiation is high during the day. Visit the SunSmart website http://www.sunsmart.com.au/ for more information about sun protection and the UV alert.
Researchers are now sure that diet is linked to several types of cancer, including cancers of the breast, bowel, stomach, lung, oesophagus, bladder, prostate and pancreas. It is estimated that we could avoid nearly one-third of all cancers if we all stopped or didn't start smoking, exercised, ate healthily and were ‘SunSmart'. This is especially true for cancer of the bowel and stomach.
There isn't one type of food that you should avoid. But eating a wide variety of foods and not too much of anything is the key. Here are a few tips that may help you choose a healthy balanced diet.
The National Health and Medical Research Council dietary guidelines provide detailed recommendations about healthy eating for all Australians. Information can be found at www.nhmrc.gov.au.
Research has shown us that physical activity may help to improve quality of life and increase survival for some types of cancer. For example, breast cancer studies have found that being active may lower risk of recurrence by about one-third. Being fit and healthy also helps reduce your risk of other health problems such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Studies have also shown that moderate exercise can help to:
Don't rush into doing a lot of exercise too soon after you finish your treatment. Your body needs time to recover. Increase your activity over time. And always check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program.
For more information about preventing cancer and reducing your risk contact the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20.
