CANCER CHECKS

Your lifestyle and diet do affect your chances of getting the disease, say scientists.

If you thought cancer was a bolt from the blue that you just could not have seen coming, a growing body of medical evidence should make you change your mind. A report released jointly by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research in October shows that what you eat and how fast you grow determine how much you are at risk from cancer.

The report is the result of five years of study by nine teams of scientists who reviewed 7,000 studies on diet, exercise, weight and cancer. It found that people who ate well and exercised on a daily basis were less likely to develop cancer. It also said that tall people have a higher risk of cancer as hormones that cause the body to grow quickly might be involved in the development of the disease8212;especially ovarian, pancreatic and pre-menopausal cancer. 8220;A combination of hormones, nutrition and genes determines how and when our bodies grow and develop,8221; says Dr Harish Dua, department of oncology medical, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi. 8220;When cells divide and develop normally, a person grows in a healthy manner. However, when the cells divide abnormally and uncontrollably, ignoring the body8217;s system of checks and balance, the growth is called cancer,8221; says Dr Dua.

How tall a person is and at what age the growth takes place also determines the cause of cancer. A related study in Denmark said that tall teenage girls were more likely to get breast cancer. The study of 117,000 women found that those who were chubby at birth but tall and lean at 14 were more likely to develop breast cancer. The study was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. 8220;It8217;s not inevitable that tall people will get cancer. However, since they are at a higher risk, they must take more care of themselves by eating right and working out,8221; says Dr T Raja, oncologist, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. 8220;The important thing is to not mull over the facts that increase the risk for cancer, but to focus on the choices that will help lower it,8221; says Dr Alex Prasad, oncologist, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai.

What then should you do to lower the chances of getting the disease? These are the recommendations culled from the report:
Maintain a body mass index BMI of between 21 and 23. BMI is a calculation of height to weight; anything over 25 shows you are overweight.
Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Also, take whole grains. Avoid red meat, alcohol and sugary drinks. Lower the intake of salt.
The report claimed that mothers who breastfeed are less likely to get cancer. It also said that their children are at a lower risk of developing it too. 8220;Children who are breastfed are less likely to become overweight when they grow up. This translates into a lower cancer risk,8221; says Dr Prasad.
A 30-minute exercise daily lowers the risk, doctors say. copy;