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Coping with Cancer > Support > Spirituality and Inspiration

New Year's Resolutions

Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: December 29, 2008

1. Quit all tobacco use; this includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, dip or chewing tobacco, and marijuana. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable cancer deaths. The number of annual deaths due to lung cancer is approaching 200,000, if no one in the U.S. smoked, this number would be about 12,000! Tobacco use can cause cancer in the mouth, larynx (voice box), throat, bladder, kidney, esophagus, and pancreas. It has also been linked to colon and breast cancer.
2. Eat better! Evidence suggests that one third of all cancer deaths are due to dietary factors. By decreasing the amount of fatty foods and increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat, you can lower your risk of developing cancer. Five servings of fruit or vegetables per day are recommended. Visit the NCI 5 a day to learn more.
3. Protect yourself from sun and UV light (produced by tanning booths) exposure. Use a lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher everyday and wear a hat when outdoors. You can get a sunburn in the winter. Tanning booths expose people to the same harmful rays as the sunlight, so you should avoid using them.
4. Increase your physical activity and lose weight. A lack of physical activity has consistently been related to an increased risk of colon cancer. Obesity has been linked, along with diet, to several digestive and reproductive system cancers.
5. Decrease your alcohol consumption. Excess alcohol consumption has been linked to cancer of the mouth, larynx (voice box), esophagus, and liver. It is particularly harmful for smokers, as the two cancer causing agents work together to produce more cancers. Despite this, red wine has been found to have some properties, not related to the alcohol, which may be beneficial. The anticancer properties come from polyphenols, antioxidants found in the skin and seed of grapes.
6. Get a routine physical by your healthcare provider. Many people only see their healthcare provider when they are sick. A healthy visit can provide recommendations for healthier living and information about which cancer screening tests are right for you.