Protective clothing and use of sunscreen 2. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoking 2. Use of spit tobacco 3. Excessive consumption of alcohol 1. Tobacco use prevention 2.
Health behaviors can positively influence a person's risks of developing cancer.
Research indicates that up to two-thirds of all cancers could be avoided if people did not use tobacco, adopted healthy eating behaviors, took precautions against excessive sun exposure, and minimized the use of alcohol. Unfortunately, providing information on health risks and benefits does not always lead to adoption of risk-reduction behaviors. Prevention education materials are not always written at a level that is appropriate to a person's literacy level or in a manner that is culturally relevant. Thus, persistent, effective, and culturally sensitive education efforts become all the more imperative. The objective of cancer screening is to diagnose precancerous conditions in people who do not have any symptoms of disease.