You’ve likely heard the adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Respectfully, there’s nothing further than the truth. It’s never too late to learn a new skill, take up a new hobby or even completely reinvent yourself. It’s also never too late to take control of your health.
If you haven’t given much thought to prioritizing your health until now, you may think it’s too late to change. Would changing your habits even make a difference at this point? According to oncologists, the answer is a resounding yes. The reality is, you can significantly lower your risk of cancer by having healthy diet and lifestyle habits in place. With this in mind, there is something in particular an oncologist says it’s important to stop doing by age 50, and if you’re over 50, it’s time to take action ASAP.
Related: ‘I’m an Oncologist—This Is the One Thing I Want Everyone to Take Away From the Surgeon General’s Alcohol Warning’
The Habit To Stop By 50 To Lower Your Risk of Cancer
If you are nearing 50, Dr. Tingting Tan, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope in Newport Beach, California, says there’s something it’s important to stop doing: delaying cancer screenings. “One habit I wish everyone would refrain from is delaying their recommended age-appropriate cancer screenings. If someone is repeatedly putting off their cancer screenings, it unfortunately can become a habit,” Dr. Tan says.
🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊
Dr. Tan hears many reasons for why some patients have put off cancer screenings, which range from them not having any symptoms and not feeling the need to get screened, their work schedule making it difficult to take time off to go to the doctor or they’ve simply prioritized other tasks instead. However, she emphasizes that delaying cancer screenings can be detrimental to one’s health.
Related: ‘I’m an Oncologist, and This Is the Breakfast I Eat Almost Every Day for Cancer Prevention’
“Getting the recommended screening tests can not only lower a person’s risk of developing cancer—as with colonoscopy—but it can lower their risk of dying of cancer. These tests can catch some cancers early, even before a person has any symptoms. Survival rates are high for people with cancers that are caught and treated early,” she says.
Not sure what cancer screenings you should be getting? The American Cancer Society outlines what screenings it’s recommended to get by certain ages. In your 40s, this includes being screened for colon cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer. If you have a family history of cancer, you should be screened for that cancer even earlier. “The risk of cancer increases with age, so it’s vital for people who are 50 or older to follow screening recommendations so that potential cancers can be prevented, detected or treated early,” Dr. Tan says.
Other Habits to Stop Doing By 50 To Lower Your Risk of Cancer
Besides putting off cancer screenings, there are other habits oncologists recommend quitting before turning 50 to lower your risk of cancer. If you smoke, Dr. Mary Chamberlin, MD, a breast oncologist at Dartmouth Health, says it’s high time to quit. Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones, MD, MPH, an internist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, says this too. “Smoking is a direct risk for many cancers, such as lung, head and neck, and a significant risk factor for almost all other cancers. Just quitting reduces cancer risk significantly, and the younger you are when you stop, the faster you decrease your risks,” she says.
Dr. Riddle-Jones points to data from the National Cancer Institutes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that when you quit after 10 years of smoking, the risk of lung cancer is reduced by 30 to 50%. “Within five years, the risk of developing an oral cavity or esophageal cancer is cut in half for people who quit smoking. If you quit after five to 10 years, the risk of developing larynx and pharynx cancer is cut in half. After 10 years, the risk of bladder, esophageal and kidney cancers decreases. And the risk of cervical cancer is cut by about half by quitting smoking after 20 years,” she adds.
Related: This Is the Early Cancer Symptom That’s Missed Most Often, According to Experts
Dr. Chamberlin says that another habit worth quitting by 50 to lower your risk of cancer is drinking carbonated beverages with sugar or artificial sweeteners, like soda and diet soda. “This reduces intake of known carcinogens or inflammatory triggers,” she says. Scientific research shows that drinking two or more sodas a week significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. For a healthier alternative, Dr. Chamberlin recommends drinking unsweetened seltzers, herbal teas or plain water instead.
It’s empowering to know that there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. While it’s never too late to adopt healthy habits, the sooner they’re in place the better! With this in mind, if you’ve been putting off cancer screenings, make today the day you get them on the calendar.
Next Up:
Related: ‘I’m a Sports Dietitian, and This Is the #1 Meal I Recommend to Clients Over 50 for Strong and Healthy Aging’
