Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. As a community of faith, we can offer support to help support patients and families as they make healthy choices to avoid cancer, and as they navigate through the healthcare journey if they are diagnosed with cancer.

We start by knowing some risk factors:

•      Drinking alcohol raises your risk of getting six kinds of cancer. All types of alcoholic drinks are linked with cancer. The more you drink, the higher your cancer risk.
•    Telling your doctor about your family health history is a first step to find out if you may have a higher cancer risk. It will help you and your doctor decide what tests you need, when to start, and how often to be tested.           
•     Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be associated with several kinds of cancer: cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal, and oropharyngeal (back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils).
•    Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer. These cancers make up 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year.
•    Smoking tobacco products causes almost nine of every 10 cases of lung cancer, and also can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies the following Protective Factors:

•    Getting screening tests regularly may find breast, cervical, and colorectal (colon) cancers early, when treatment is likely to work best. Lung cancer screening is recommended for some people who are at high risk.

• Vaccines (shots) also help lower cancer risk. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine helps prevent most cervical cancers and several other kinds of cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine can help lower liver cancer risk.
• You can reduce your risk of getting cancer by making healthy choices like keeping a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco, limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, and protecting your skin.