| Walk With the Doc Cancer Prevention Cancer is a complex group of diseases with many possible causes that can include genetic factors, lifestyle, infections and environmental exposures. In some cases the science is not settled on causes and there remains room for debate. For example, the science is not settled on the long term effects of drinking too much coffee or cell phone radiation. In contrast, there is consensus that excess body fat increases the probability for many types of cancer. Excess body fat can trigger chronic inflammation and disturb the regulation of sex hormones - both common pathways for the development of cancer cells in the body. For an overview of what is known about the cancer risk from excess body weight view this infographic. More about research supporting the value of weight loss in cancer prevention is available in the article “Tipping the cancer scales.” While weight loss is probably the most popular New Year’s resolution, it doesn’t take a new year that’s months away to get started. Often the best way to start is with a walk and talk about your goals. Nancy Neighbors, MD Breast Cancer Awareness Month October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to promoting awareness of a disease that affects so many. Approximately 1 in 8 women in the U.S will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In this year alone, an estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. Catching Colorectal Cancer Early Colorectal cancer (commonly known as colon cancer) remains the third leading cause of cancer- related deaths in the United States among men and women, and is expected to cause about 49,190 deaths during 2016. However, routine testing starting at age 50 can actually prevent many cases of colorectal cancer, or find it at an early stage. But because many people are not getting tested, only about 4 out of 10 are diagnosed at this early stage when treatment is most likely to be successful. This infographic focuses on the benefits of getting tested, identifying the people at greatest risk for developing colorectal cancer, and the steps you can take to detect colorectal cancer early or even prevent it altogether. Preventing Skin Cancer Skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types. More than 3.5 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and more than 76,000 cases of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) are expected to be diagnosed in 2016. That’s why the American Cancer Society and the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention have designated a day in May as “Don’t Fry Day.” Although skin cancer risk factors are present every day, the dangers are greater during the summer when you spend more time in the sun. For easy-to-follow tips to help you be sun sensible and reduce your risk of skin cancer, click to view this infographic. A Tip From The Surgeon General The Surgeon General of the United States provides a Prescription for Health in a thoughtful Ted Talk that discusses the important role attitudes play in our health. Fight Fraud by Guarding Your Medicare Number Health care fraud drives up costs for everyone in the health care system. One way to protect against such fraud is to guard your Medicare number. Fraud schemes often depend on identity thieves getting hold of people’s Medicare numbers, so treat your number as you would a credit card. Follow these important steps to protect yourself from fraud: • Don’t share your Medicare number • Review your Medicare Summary Notice to be sure you are only being charged for actual services. • Be wary of salespeople that call you uninvited and don’t accept items received through the mail that you didn’t order. • Don’t let anyone rush you to enroll by claiming you need to “act now for the best deal.” • Be skeptical of free gifts, free medical services, discount packages or any offer that sounds “too good to be true.” |