European Code Against Cancer
12 ways to reduce your cancer risk
1. Do not smoke. Do not use any form of tobacco.
2. Make your home smoke-free. Support smoke-free policies in your workplace.
3. Take action to be a healthy body weight.
4. Be physically active in everyday life. Limit the time you spend sitting.
5. Have a healthy diet:
Eat plenty of whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruits.
Limit high-calorie foods (foods high in sugar or fat) and avoid sugary drinks.
Avoid processed meat; limit red meat and foods high in salt.
6. If you drink alcohol of any type, limit your intake. Not drinking alcohol is better for cancer prevention.
7. Avoid too much sun, especially for children. Use sun protection. Do not use sunbeds.
8. In the workplace, protect yourself against cancer-causing substances by following health and safety instructions.
9. Find out if you are exposed to radiation from naturally high radon levels in your home.
10. For women:
Breastfeeding reduces the mother’s cancer risk. If you can, breastfeed your baby.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk of certain cancers.
Limit use of HRT.
11. Ensure your children take part in vaccination programmes for:
Hepatitis B (for newborns)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) (for girls).
12. Take part in organised cancer screening programmes for:
Bowel cancer (men and women)
Breast cancer (women)
Cervical cancer (women).
Please find information on cancer screening that is available in the UK
BOWEL CANCER SCREENING
Everyone aged 60 to 74 who is registered with a GP and lives in England is automatically sent a bowel cancer screening kit every 2 years.
If you are 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every 2 years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/index.html
BREAST CANCER SCREENING
All women aged from 50 to their 71st birthday who are registered with a GP are automatically invited for breast cancer screening every 3 years through a letter.
You may be eligible for breast screening before the age of 50 if you have a very high risk of developing breast cancer.
If you are 71 or over, you will stop receiving screening invitations. But you can still ask to have breast screening – please visit the NHS breast cancer screening website to find the nearest breast screening units in your area.
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/index.html
CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING -
All women aged over 25 who are registered with a GP are automatically invited for cervical screening through a letter. Below is the eligible ages and invitation timings.
| Age | When you are invited |
|---|
| under 25 | Before you turn 25 (usually 6 months before your 25th birthday) |
| 25 to 49 | Every 3 years if your last test was normal |
| 50 to 64 | Every 5 years if your last test was normal |
| 65 or older | Only if 1 of your last 3 tests was abnormal |
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/
Finally, no screening exists for Prostate Cancer. However, there is a PSA blood test. Please see the below link for further information:
PROSTATE CANCER RISK MANAGEMENT
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-prostate/Pages/prevention.aspx
In the UK, the four most common cancers in men are:
Prostate cancer
Lung cancer
Large bowel cancer
Bladder cancer.
The four most common cancers in women in the UK are:
Breast cancer
Large bowel cancer
Lung cancer
Ovarian cancer
To find information about the signs and symptoms of cancer please click on the link below which takes you to the Macmillan cancer website.
If you develop any of these symptoms it is important that you see a GP urgently.
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Aboutcancer/Signssymptoms.aspx