Cancer | The time to take care of yourself is now

Do you know how to prevent cancer? Learn which habits will benefit your health and life!

The National Day for the Fight Against Cancer (11/27) was created by the Ministry of Health in the 1980s with the objective of increasing knowledge about the disease, shedding light on everything we can do to prevent cancer, which is the second leading cause of death in the world, second only to cardiovascular diseases.

It is known today that the risk of developing cancer is linked both to genetic and aging issues and to the so-called avoidable risk factors, responsible for almost half of the deaths from cancer, among which smoking, alcohol consumption, and high body mass index (BMI) stand out.

In practice, this means that lifestyle has a strong influence on prevention. Thus, let’s act, the time to take care of yourself is now!

Check out 5 important recommendations to prevent cancer:

1 – Don’t smoke. Most cancers are associated with smoking. In the case of lung cancer, smoking increases the chance of getting the disease by 40 times. Exposure to cigarette smoke (passive smoking) also increases the risk factor. If you smoke, seek immediate medical advice to eliminate smoking from your life.

2 – Eliminate or reduce as much as possible alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can cause the onset of several types of cancer. Its action in the organism can directly damage the DNA of the cells, cause oxidative stress damaging the genes, facilitate the penetration of environmental carcinogens in the cells, among other mechanisms of action. For prevention, there are no safe levels of intake.

3 – Eat healthily. Eat a balanced diet that includes all food groups. Your meals should be based on “real food”, avoiding foods that go through industrial processing, the so-called ultra-processed foods, which usually have added and excessive sugars, sweeteners, dyes, hydrogenated fat, among other substances. Also, don’t forget to drink a good amount of water every day!

4 – Practice physical exercises. In addition to contributing to the prevention of obesity, which is associated with cancer itself and other diseases, regular exercise – at least 150 minutes a week – reduces by up to 20% the chance of developing several types of tumors by generating anti-inflammatory action in the body. Studies also point out that people who are facing the disease can benefit from physical activity, with medical monitoring.

5 – Up-to-date vaccines. Some infections increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Vaccines are effective and safe ways to prevent infections and, in turn, reduce the risk of developing cancer. This is the case with the vaccine against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which protects against most types of viruses associated with cervical cancer. The Hepatitis B vaccine, on the other hand, prevents viruses related to liver cancer. Ask your doctor about the indication!

Access the Insurance for People Portal and learn more !
Questions about your Health Plan? Contact the Hello People team. Supporting you in your preventive health care is our role.

E-mail:
olapessoas@horiens.com

Phones:
0800 740 1234 or (11) 3096-8080