By Flora McCraith, MSN, 2/4/2012

Cut your cancer risk

These tips can help you to cut your potential risk of cancer.

AP Photo Women have a one in three chance of developing cancer over her lifetime and according to the National Cancer Society Malaysia, it is the third leading cause of death. While we can't change our genetics, research and studies show that there are lifestyle changes that people should make which could help to reduce their risk of cancer. Life and Style highlights some of these below.

iStock Smoking drastically increases a person's risk of cancer and has been linked to most variations of the disease including mouth, tongue, throat and bladder. Smoking and tobacco use has been blamed for the increasing rates of cancer. Ask your doctor for help and information on quitting and even cutting down on how many you smoke a day will slightly lower your risk.

stock.xchng Make sure you practice safe sex and use condoms as this can reduce the chances of a woman catching the STI known as HPV (human papillomavirus) which is transmitted by sexual skin to skin contact and is the main cause of cervical cancer. While condoms won't

give 100 per cent protection from the virus, if a woman's partner uses a condom every time they have sex, it will reduce the chances of contracting it by up to 70 per cent.

Shutterstock Igor Dutina Eat plenty of fruits and vegetable will ensure you are getting plenty of fibre nutrition which is good for your digestive and bowel health. Fruits and vegetables also contain anti-oxidants which help to protect the cells from damage from free radical and oxidative stress. They can also help to protect against carcinogens and therefore reduce cancer of the digestive tract.

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Make sure that you cut out or severely limit your consumption of processed foods, especially meats as they have been altered from their natural state and are full of preservatives and other chemicals. It's also advised to keep your intake of red meat to a minimum as new research suggests that there is a link between red meat and cancer.

stock.xchng Try to reduce the amount of fat in your diet as studies have found that those who have a high fat diet are more likely to develop cancer as it is believed to damage DNA. Studies have found that women who have a diet which is low in fat have a lower risk of developing cancer, primarily ovarian and breast cancer. Your fat intake should be roughly 20 per cent of your total calories daily.

Capifrutta shutterstock Women should make sure they have a Pap smear test every couple of years to check for a change in cells on the cervix which could indicate cancer. A cervical cancer vaccine is also advised for women and girls. Similarly, women around the age of 50 should have a mammogram every two years to check for breast cancer, unless there is a history in the family, in which case it should be checked more frequently and start at a younger age.

iStock Excessive alcohol consumption is likely to cause liver disease but also increase a person's risk of cancer. Women should only have one drink a day and it is recommended that that should be red wine as it contains phytonutrients which have been found to have some health benefits (it won't prevent cancer though). If you are a risk of breast cancer then you shouldn't drink at all.

iStock Watch your weight because being overweight has been linked to colon, rectal and breast cancer to name a few. According to the American Cancer Society, those who are obese not only increase their risk of cancer, but are 57 per cent more likely to die from the disease. Having too much body fat is a leading risk of cancer today and overweight women increase their chances of breast cancer due to higher oestrogen levels.

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Exercise is not only necessary for overall wellbeing, but numerous studies have shown that it can help lower a person's risk to cancer and adults should be getting 30 minutes of physical activity a day. Anything that increases your breathing and raises your heart rate will be beneficial.

Nikolay Okhitin shutterstock +Be careful when you are out in the sun and wear sun screen with a high SPF as it will protect you from the sun's harmful rays. Skin burning due to being in the sun will increase a person's risk of skin cancer. Check your skin on a regular basis and watch out for a change in the appearance of moles as this could indicate melanoma. However, we do need 10 minutes a day in the sun as it is our primary source of Vitamin D. Sunglasses and a hat are also advised when in the sun.

sotck.xchng If possible, reduce your exposure to chemicals and radiation. General cleaning products found in the home or pesticides can contain cancer causing substances such as formaldehyde. Radiation therapy (tuberculosis and Hodgkin's disease) x-rays and scans can all affect a person's predisposition to cancer.