Cancer Care

Small changes can make a real difference and not just for cancer. In 2008 a large UK study worked out how a combination of four healthy behaviours (not smoking, being active, moderating how much alcohol your drink, and eating five daily portions of fruit and vegetables) would affect a person's health. People who did all four healthy behaviours gained an average of 14 years of life compared to people who didn't do any of them.

Stopping Smoking

Smoking (including passive smoking) causes around 3 in 20 (15%) cancer cases in the UK. Being smoke free can prevent 15 types of cancer including:

Nose and sinuses
Mouth
Upper throat
Larynx
Oesophagus
Lung
Liver
Stomach
Kidney
Pancreas
Bowel
Ovary
Bladder
Cervix
Leukaemia

To find out more on how to quit smoking click here

Healthy Eating

At least 22,800 cancer cases in the UK each year could be linked to excess bodyweight. Reducing rates of overweight and obesity by 1% every year could:

Avoid 64,200 cases of cancer over the next 20 years
Save £40million in the annual cost of NHS cancer care
Avoid 7,300 cases of cancer annually from 2035

Keeping a healthy weight also reduces the risk of strokes, Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease.

What are the recommendations?

A diet high in fruit and vegetables aswell as high fibre foods. A diet that is low in processed meat and high-calorie foods. See the below Eatwell guide:

Reducing Alcohol

How can I cut down on alcohol?

If you drink, cutting back on alcohol will be good for your health and reduces the risk of 7 different types of cancer
Making a few changes to your routine can make a big difference to how much you're drinking
The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. But the less you drink the better