Body Weight and Cancer Risk

Skin cancer is highly treatable if it is caught and treated early. You know your body best, so you are the best one to look for and notice changes. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you examine your skin from head-to-toe every month. Skin cancers appear in many shapes and sizes, and you are the best person to determine if something on your body is new, changing or unusual. Self-exams are a powerful way to look at yourself with the focus of saving your own life. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a tradition started in 1985 with the goal of educating the public about breast cancer and celebrating those whose lives have been affected by the disease. While breast cancer is much more common in women, it can affect men too (although the chances are rare). But unfortunately, since men are not as familiar with the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, they’re less likely to catch the disease early, when it’s the most treatable.

Cancer prevention information can be confusing — one study may say something that contradicts another you just read. Research is constantly evolving. But one fact that’s stayed consistent is that your lifestyle choices make a difference. While cancer is often unpredictable, there’s still comfort in knowing there are things you can do to reduce your risk — and they’ll help prevent other serious diseases too. To boost your odds, consider the following cancer prevention tips.

One of the many reasons people love living in Colorado is the 300 days of glorious sunshine per year. But all that fabulous sun, plus our climate and elevation, mean we need to be extra careful to protect our skin. Sure, we carry sunscreen in our pool bags, but how often do we carry it in our cars or have it handy for backyard play days? When it’s nice outside, we just want to get up and go — so much so that it’s easy to forget to protect ourselves. 

Each year when you visit your primary care provider, you are likely given a list of suggested tests and screenings for early disease detection. Screenings are the tests and exams used to find disease in people who don’t have symptoms. The screening list may be different for all of us, but the two most common screenings are for breast and prostate cancer. The recommendations for breast cancer screenings have been steady over the years. The recommendations for prostate cancer screenings continues to evolve.