At the Arizona Cancer Center, preventing cancer is as important as treating it. The Center's Cancer Prevention and Control Program is one of the largest and most diverse in the country. Skin cancer is a major health threat in Arizona since our rate of skin cancer is the second highest in the world. Skin cancer prevention research includes projects that test the effectiveness of different chemopreventive methods, such as vitamins and topical agents. One study is evaluating the use of a topical ointment containing EGCG, a chemical extract from green tea, to prevent skin cancer as well as repair sun-damaged skin .
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Diet also may play a role in breast cancer. The Arizona Cancer Center also is one of more than 400 sites in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico testing the effectiveness of the drug tamoxifen compared to raloxifene in preventing breast cancer in women who are at increased risk. More than one in five Arizonans smoke. Most of them know the relationship of smoking to lung cancer and say they wish they could quit. The Arizona Smokers' Help line, a free telephone service, gives callers counseling, quit kits, and follow-up calls.