Up until recently, thanks to advancements in technology and thorough research, cancer was considered an incurable stroke of misfortune.  However, new research has provided scientists, and therefore the public, with slight changes to an average daily routine that could reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.

Firstly, as we have known for a while, smoking causes cancer.  However, a more alarming statistic is that smoking gives rise to one out of five tumors in America.  Roughly 20% of cancer cases involve the use of smoking. We have known that smoking is a dangerous form of self-imposed cancer, but it is not the only one.

Being overweight can actually cause cancer, most commonly in the kidneys, gallbladder, and esophagus.  Increased levels of insulin in the overweight body causes cancer in these organs. Overweight women have a greater risk of developing cancer than overweight men because the prevalence of female sex hormones increases the chances of the development of breast cancer.  To address this, overweight people could exercise. As little as fifteen minutes of activity, such as walking, will drastically reduce the insulin levels in the body, thus reducing the chances of cancerous masses forming.

Secondly, the drinking of alcohol can cause more than just issues in the liver, but can also give rise to cancer in the esophagus, throat, and mouth.  The daily intake of alcohol should not exceed more than one glass of wine per day or an equivalent amount of alcohol. Alarmingly, smokers who also drink in excess increase their chances of developing cancer up to a hundredfold.

Thirdly, it is very important to be aware of meat being consumed.  Red meat has been shown to increase the risk of attaining intestinal cancer, and red meat in excess can increase odds of developing cancer by one and a half times.  The largest culprit is beef, but pork also has a negative influence on the prevention of cancer. Alternatively, fish is known to reduce the odds of developing cancer.  Also, there have been studies that fumes given off by barbequing meat can also cause cancerous masses.

Finally, too much exposure to the sun can be detrimental to health.  Cancer is caused by mutated genetic information. Exposure to radiation, specifically to UV radiation can alter the genetic information of cells, causing cancerous masses to develop, particularly on the skin.