Smart choices can reduce your risk for cancer

Cancer does not discriminate, afflicting men, women and children regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender. While there's no way you can fully protect yourself from cancer, there are ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Some of the most effective ways to lower your cancer risk is to make certain lifestyle choices. Many of these choices will not only reduce your risk of developing cancer but also improve your overall quality of life.

* Avoid tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer. The majority of lung cancer cases are caused by cigarette smoking, and male smokers are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer than men who don't smoke. Women who smoke are 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer than their nonsmoking counterparts. In addition, the United States Department of Health and Human Services notes that smoking can also cause a host of other cancers, including cancer of the larynx, mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach. Avoiding tobacco entirely can drastically reduce your risk of developing any of these cancers.

* Don't allow others to smoke around you. Even people who don't smoke might be at a significant risk of developing cancer if they allow others to smoke around them. In a 2006 report titled "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke," HHS researchers revealed that cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers. Exposure to secondhand smoke at home or at work increases your risk by to 20 to 30 percent, so don't allow others to smoke in your presence.

* Avoid heavy alcohol consumption. The World Health Organization notes that studies conducted around the globe have found that regular alcohol consumption increases a person's risk of developing mouth, voice box and throat cancers. In 2007, WHO researchers published a study that found daily consumption of roughly 50 grams, or less than two ounces, of alcohol doubles or triples a person's risk of the aforementioned cancers compared with the risk in nondrinkers.

Numerous studies have also found that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce risk for other diseases, including coronary artery disease. As a result, men and women should discuss alcohol consumption with their physician and, if they do consume alcohol, always do so in moderation.

* Protect your skin. Though lung cancer might be the most deadly cancer, skin cancer is among the most prevalent. That's especially disconcerting, as skin cancer is largely preventable. Men, women and children who protect their skin from the sun when spending time outdoors can drastically reduce their risk of developing skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Seek shade, apply sunscreen and wear protective clothing, including a hat and sunglasses, to reduce your exposure to the sun's potentially harmful ultraviolet rays.

Though anyone can develop cancer, there are many choices people can make that can drastically reduce their risk of joining the millions of people who receive a cancer diagnosis each year.