Health
To reduce cancer risk, researchers recommend adopting these 4 healthy habits
While some cancers are driven by genetics, studies have shown that up to half of all cases are caused by behavioral risk factors — which means they’re preventable.
Doctors recommend some common lifestyle changes to prevent cancer, such as not smoking, eating nutritious foods, wearing sun protection and limiting exposure to carcinogens — but each person’s means of reducing risk can look different.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have compiled four specific, research-backed strategies for reducing risk.
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1. Stay on top of preventive screenings
Procrastination is one of the top reasons for missed cancer screenings, research has shown.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have compiled four specific, research-backed strategies for reducing risk. (iStock)
For example, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Black individuals in the U.S., but many do not get the recommended screenings.
A study by Dr. Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), found that “self-reported procrastination” was the primary reason for the skipped screenings, fueled by “financial concerns, COVID-19 concerns and fear of both the test and bowel preparation.”
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“The key takeaway from this study is that all providers should discuss colorectal cancer screening at regular intervals with all of their patients, because early detection through screening saves lives,” Anyane-Yeboa told Fox News Digital.
“To reduce their cancer risk, all people should be screened starting at age 45 and talk to their families about their family history to figure out if they need to be screened earlier.”
Screening guidelines for other types of cancers can be found on the American Cancer Society website. (iStock)
“Colorectal cancer is preventable with screening, and screening really does save lives.”
Screening guidelines for other types of cancers can be found on the American Cancer Society website.
2. Improve your sleep health
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep has been linked to a higher risk of developing cancers.
Heming Wang, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), led a research team that examined the impact of insomnia on ovarian cancer risk.
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“Insomnia is a common sleep disorder among ovarian cancer patients,” Wang told Fox News Digital.
“Our research revealed that insomnia increases the risk of a specific subtype of ovarian cancer and is associated with reduced survival in patients,” he went on.
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep has been linked to a higher risk of developing cancers. (iStock)
“These findings highlight the importance of addressing insomnia in the prevention and management of ovarian cancer.”
Based on these findings, seeking treatment for insomnia can help reduce the risk of certain types of ovarian cancer, according to the researchers.
3. Know the risks and benefits of daily aspirin use
Research has shown that regularly taking aspirin or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) can reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer — but it can also lead to dangerous side effects, such as bleeding and inflammation.
“It is important to know if you are more likely to benefit from daily aspirin use,” according to MGH.
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Daniel Sikavi, MD, and Andrew Chan, MD, of MGH, led a study that explored the link between aspirin and colon cancer risk.
“Our results suggested that people with a less healthy lifestyle — higher body mass index, more smoking, greater alcohol use, less physical activity and poorer diet quality — had a greater absolute benefit from aspirin use in reducing their risk of colorectal cancer,” Sikavi told Fox News Digital.
Research has shown that regularly taking aspirin can reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer — but it can also lead to dangerous side effects. (iStock)
People with a healthier lifestyle had a lower overall risk of colon cancer, the researchers found, but regular aspirin use didn’t have the same protective effects for that group.
“This work is an important example of a more personalized approach to cancer prevention by targeting effective prevention strategies to populations that are the most likely to benefit,” Sikavi noted.
4. Cut down on sugar-sweetened beverages
More than half of the U.S. population consumes sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on any given day, studies have shown.
Research by the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that men and women who drank two or more servings of SSBs per day had a 5% higher risk of dying from an obesity-related cancer.
“Despite their sweet taste, sugary drinks pose significant health risks,” Longgang Zhao, PhD, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Fox News Digital.
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“Researchers have already linked the beverages to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.”
Zhao recently led a study that investigated the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and liver cancer risk among postmenopausal women.
Research has found that men and women who drank two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a 5% higher risk of dying from an obesity-related cancer. (iStock)
“In our current study using data from the Women’s Health Initiative prospective cohort, we found that postmenopausal women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a higher risk of developing liver cancer and dying of chronic liver disease than those who drank less than three or fewer sugar-sweetened beverages per month,” he said.
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“If a causal link is established between sugary drinks and liver disease, the broader implications for global public health initiatives are substantial.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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