This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Trisha Amboree about healthy lifestyle changes and screening tests to help reduce your cancer risk. Dr. Amboree is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences and a researcher at Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. A study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society finds that 40% of cancer cases and about one half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years and older could be attributed to modifiable risk factors. Doctor Tricia Amboree is here to talk about reducing our risk of cancer. Doctor Amboree is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences, and she's a researcher at Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC. Doctor Amboree, give us more details about this 40% of cancer cases that are attributable to modifiable risk factors.
Dr. Amboree: The terminology modifiable risk factors just means that there are things that can be done or changed to prevent getting these cancers. These cancers include cervical cancers, which are mainly attributed to infection with the human papillomavirus or HPV, as well as melanomas of the skin, which are attributed to UV radiation, lung cancer, which is attributed to cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke, and esophagus and oral cavity cancers, which were mainly attributed to a mix of smoking, alcohol consumption, being overweight, and low fruit and vegetable consumption.
Conner: What actions can we take, then, in our individual lives to help reduce our risk of cancer?
Dr. Amboree: We all know that there are some issues that we cannot control, but knowing the risk factors that can potentially be modified or changed to reduce our risk is so very important. This includes efforts like reducing cigarette smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke, vaccination against HPV infection, reducing any excess body weight through more physical activity, and adding more fruits and veggies into our diets, and also limiting our alcohol consumption.
Conner: Tell us more about the importance of cancer screening.
Dr. Amboree: Yeah, preventive cancer screenings are so vitally important. They play the role of sometimes being able to detect pre-cancerous issues before they turn into cancer. For example, for cervical cancer screening, you can often use screening tests to detect pre cancers before they turn into cancers. So, there are changes of the cells of the cervix that can be detected in these screening tests that can often be treated before any progression to cancer. Similarly, with colorectal cancer screening, the screening test can detect polyps that can be removed prior to any formation of an actual cancer. So, the preventive screening test are very important.
Conner: What are some of the cancer screening tests that people should consider?
Dr. Amboree: Breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screenings are recommended at different intervals depending on your age. And, additional screenings can include skin exams for skin changes, as well as PSA tests for prostate cancer screening. So, I would encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider about which screening test is best for you. We know that cancer impacts so many people in the US. It's estimated that approximately one in every three people in the US will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes. And I often say that prevention is the best cure. So, if we can reduce our risk and prevent cancers from developing as frequently, we can really improve our well-being and quality of life. And although we can't control everything, let's try to focus on the things we can control and give ourselves the best opportunity to reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Conner: Doctor Amboree, thanks so much for this information about reducing risk of cancer.
Dr. Amboree: Thank you so much for having me.
Conner: From the radio studio, for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
