There are more than 200 types of cancer that can affect the human body. It occurs when abnormal cells grow and divide, sometimes spreading to nearby organs and tissues.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, killing around one in six people every year.
Although there are some risk factors for cancer that are beyond our control, such as our genetics and our age, others are influenced by lifestyle habits.
With this in mind one expert took to social media platform TikTok to share ways we can all take to slash our risk of cancer.
Gastroenterologist Doctor Saurabh Sethi, from the US, revealed four simple steps to do so.
These are:
Alcohol
There are numerous health risks associated with drinking alcohol, with cancer just the tip of the iceberg.
Dr Sethi said: “Cut down on alcohol because it’s been linked to cancers of the stomach, colon, liver, pancreas and breast.”
This advice was backed by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk for cancer,” it says.
The health body warns that alcohol can raise your risk for mouth and throat, larynx, oesophagus, bowel, liver and breast cancer.
It continues: “Some studies show that drinking three or more alcoholic drinks per day increases the risk of stomach and pancreatic cancers.
“There is also evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk for prostate cancer.
“All alcoholic drinks, including red and white wine, beer, and liquor, are linked with cancer. The more you drink, the higher your cancer risk.”
Processed meat
Processed meat is meat that’s been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives.
This includes bacon, sausages, ham, salami, corned beef and pate.
“Eat less processed meats as these are linked to a higher risk of colon cancer,” Dr Sethi said.
The NHS states: “Eating a lot of red and processed meat increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer.
“That’s why it’s recommended that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day cut down to 70g or less. This could help reduce your risk of bowel cancer.”
Smoking
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, accounting for around 70 percent of cases.
But Dr Sethi said it has also been linked to other forms of the disease.
“Quit smoking – not only does it increase risk for lung cancer, but also other cancers like mouth, pancreas, bladder and kidney,” he explained.
Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen, or sun cream, is one of the best ways to protect yourself from skin cancer.
But Dr Sethi advised that a specific type of sunscreen is needed.
“Protect your skin from the sun by wearing sunscreen (mineral one and not chemical one) to minimise the risk of skin cancer,” he added.
Mineral sunscreens sit on the surface of your skin and act as a shield against the skin, while chemical sunscreens sink into your skin.
To know whether the sunscreen is chemical or mineral look at the active ingredients on the bottle. If you see either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, it’s a mineral-based sunscreen.
