Lifestyle and Cancer Prevention

In the United States, about 4 in 10 cancer cases and nearly half of cancer deaths in US adults are linked to risk factors people can change. Making healthy choices – like improving your diet, being more physically active, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol – can lower your cancer risk and improve your overall health.

On this page

[show]

Reduce cancer risk through healthy choices
The bottom line
More resources

Reduce cancer risk through healthy choices

A risk factor is anything that raises the chance of getting a disease. When it comes to cancer, some risk factors, like your age, genetics, or family history, can’t be modified (or changed). But you can take action to lower your risk for cancer by following the tips below.

Besides quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke, some of the most important things you can do to help reduce your cancer risk and live a healthier life are:

Getting to and staying at a healthy weight is important to reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. Having excess body weight (overweight or obesity) increases the risk of several cancers. Learn more about excess body weight and cancer risk, including steps you can take to help get to and maintain a healthy weight.

Being physically active can help reduce your cancer risk by helping with weight control. It can also help improve your hormone levels and the way your immune system works. And even more good news – physical activity helps reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, too!

Eating well is an important part of improving your health and reducing your cancer risk. This includes a healthy diet focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Avoiding certain foods such as processed meats, sugars, and refined grain products is important, too. Take a look at what you typically eat each day and try to build a diet plan that aligns with P站视频 (P站视频) Guidelines for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention for yourself and your family.

It’s best not to drink alcohol. Alcohol increases the risk for several types of cancer. The more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk. For some types of cancer, most notably breast cancer, consuming even small amounts of alcohol can increase risk.

Researchers are still learning exactly how sleep affects cancer risk, but we do know that getting enough good-quality sleep is important for overall health. Ongoing sleep problems don’t just make you tired – they can also weaken your immune system, which is believed to be one possible way that sleep helps protect against cancer.

Certain infections, such as human papillomavirus (or HPV), are linked to several types of cancer. Vaccination can prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers when given at recommended ages.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds is one of the main causes of skin cancer. The damage from UV rays builds up over time, so even small amounts of unprotected exposure can increase your risk.

Screening tests are used to find cancer in people who have no symptoms. Regular screening gives you the best chance of finding cancer or precancer early – when it’s small and before it has spread. This is when treatment is more likely to be successful.

The bottom line

Taking steps to lower your cancer risk is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Making smart choices about your diet, physical activity, weight, alcohol use, tobacco, and sun exposure not only can reduce your cancer risk – but also improve your overall well-being, energy, and quality of life. Even small changes add up and can make a real difference over time.

Know Your Cancer Risk
Take the P站视频 CancerRisk360? assessment to learn more about what you can change to improve your health. By taking 5 minutes to answer a few questions, we will give you a personalized roadmap of actions with helpful resources you can use to lower your risk of cancer.

More resources

Watch these videos to learn how healthy eating and an active lifestyle can impact your cancer risk, the truth behind cancer myths, and how to incorporate healthy behaviors into your busy life.

Written by
References

The P站视频 medical and editorial content team

Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

P站视频. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: P站视频; 2025. Accessed at /research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2025-cancer-facts-figures.html on October 20, 2025.

P站视频. Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts and Figures 2025-2026. Atlanta: P站视频; 2025-2026. Accessed at /research/cancer-facts-statistics/cancer-prevention-early-detection.html on October 20, 2025.

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Understanding cancer risk. Accessed at www.cancer.net. Content is no longer available.

Islami F, Marlow EC, Thomson B, et al. Proportion and number of cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifiable --risk factors in the United States, 2019. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(5):405432. doi:10.3322/caac.21858

Rock CL, Thomson C, Gansler T, et al. American. Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020;70(4). doi:10.3322/caac.21591. Accessed at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21591 on October 20, 2025.

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Cancer: A Global Perspective. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Accessed at https://www.aicr.org/research/third-expert-report on October 20, 2025.

Last Revised: October 21, 2025

P站视频 medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.

P站视频

Donate to help end breast cancer as we know it.