3 Steps Women Can Take Now to Reduce Cancer Risk

In recent years, more women under 50 have been diagnosed with cancer than men. But the good news is that women can take steps right away to help reduce their cancer risk.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), women younger than 50 are almost twice as likely as men to develop cancer. In 2021, the rate of new cancer cases for women under 50 was 82% higher than men in the same age group.

“Women should be aware of their personal risk based on their family history and also identify ways that they might be able to reduce their risk of developing cancer in the future,” said Norah Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expert and interim Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Michigan.

Along with your age and family history, certain lifestyle factors can also affect your personal cancer risk. In fact, ACS estimates more than 44% of cancer deaths in the U.S. this year could be caused by risk factors that can be changed. These actions might include smoking, drinking alcohol, unhealthy eating, or not getting much physical activity.

Start learning about your personal cancer risk by talking with your doctor. They’ll ask you questions about your family and health history. You can’t  change your family history and some other risk factors for cancer, However, being aware of them will help your doctor give you advice about how to lower your risk.

Certain online tools can also help you figure out your cancer risk. The ACS CancerRisk360 assessment asks questions to help determine which factors might be impacting your risk. Then it provides you with a personalized action plan to help lower your chances of getting cancer.

Three ways you can help to lower your cancer risk are:

1: Avoid using alcohol and tobacco.

Both alcohol and tobacco are known to increase cancer risk. Alcohol use has been linked to several different types of cancer. These include mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, stomach, breast, and colorectal cancers.

According to the ACS Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, it is best not to drink alcohol. Women who choose to drink alcohol should limit their intake to no more than 1 drink a day.

Decades of research also show that tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of disease, including cancer. Smoking increases the risk for at least 12 cancers, such as lung, mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas, colorectal, and liver cancers. About 20% of all cancers and 80% of all lung cancers are caused by smoking.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the best ways to lower your cancer risk. But quitting can be hard. Helpful resources are available, starting with your health care team. “For women who have had difficulty stopping on their own, I recommend talking with their primary care physician about available programs,” said Dr. Henry.

You can also find support for quitting tobacco online. These resources include email-based methods like the ACS Empowered to Quit program for people who want to stop smoking. Empowered to Quit offers advice on things like coping with cravings and how to set a “Quit Day” and stick with it.

2: Get regular physical activity.

Exercise benefits all aspects of your health and can make a dent in your cancer risk. Research has shown that getting regular physical activity can help lower the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colon, and bladder cancers.

Any type of physical activity or exercise can be helpful in reducing cancer risk. ACS recommends getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. This includes activities like going for a walk or taking a bike ride. Or you can get 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week. This might mean running, dancing, hiking, or swimming laps.

“With our busy schedules, it can be challenging to incorporate exercise into weekly routines,” said Dr. Henry. Ways to work up to weekly exercise include:

• Set weekly goals.
• Find an exercise buddy.
• Schedule exercise on your calendar, just like you would for a meeting or appointment.
• Make a connection between exercise and other daily activities so it becomes a habit. For instance, you might try stretching while you get ready in the morning or doing squats while you watch TV at night.

3: Keep up with recommended cancer screening.

Cancer screening is the best way to find certain cancers early. This is when they’re most likely to be treated effectively. All women should keep up with their recommended screening tests. This includes screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. If you smoke or used to smoke, talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening, too.

In addition to following overall guidelines, ask your doctor how your family history might affect the cancer screening tests you may need.

"Women can use their knowledge about their family history to partner with their physicians to tailor their cancer screening plan,” said Dr. Henry. “Two key questions to ask are what tests are recommended for cancer screening and when should they be performed.”

For example, a woman with a high risk for breast cancer might need to start getting routine screening sooner than someone with an average risk. If  you have questions about your cancer risk and what screening schedule is recommended for you, ask your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about cancer risk and screenings on a regular basis. This ongoing conversation can help you decide what measures can help reduce your cancer risk or find cancer early.

Dr. Henry is a member of ASCO’s Patient Information Editorial Board.