Young men and women who are just starting out in life shouldn’t have to worry about something like cancer. The fact that there even needs to be a national awareness week for young adult cancer saddens me. But the facts don’t lie: cancer is on the rise when it comes to people under 50.
Even though currently only about 4% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States are of young people, that number is set to rise drastically in the coming years if nothing changes.
How can we stop the travesty of cancer from happening to the next generation of our youth?
Some Scary Statistics About Cancer in Young Adults
Here are some cancer statistics that may surprise you:
- More than 60,000 American 20 and 30-something’s are currently diagnosed with cancer each year
- Cancer accounts for close to 10% of all deaths of young people in United States. It is the leading cause of death from disease for young girls
- Survival rates for young people with cancer in general have not changed much in the last decade, compared to slightly higher rates of survival for people 50 and older
- The number of people in this age group who will be diagnosed with colon cancer is expected to increase by 90% by 2030.
- The number of young people who will be diagnosed with rectal cancer could increase by 124%, according to a recent University of Texas study
- The number of young women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States has risen steadily over the last four decades. Aggressive forms of breast cancer are on the rise for young women in other countries as well. A 2007 study of Swiss women ages 25-39 saw an increase of close to 50% just in the years 2002-2004 alone
- Nearly two out of three cases of thyroid cancer are found in individuals under the age of 50, according to the American Cancer Society
As a Young Adult: 10 Things You Can Do To Prevent Cancer NOW
It is no surprise that rates for diseases such as breast, thyroid, and colon cancer are on the rise in young people. Like the population at large, lifestyle, eating habits, and environmental toxins are the common sense cancer culprits when it comes to young people.
People it their 20s and 30s, however, have some added hurdles to jump over. Heavy social stigma around the disease can come not just from peers; many conventional doctors still don’t take the possibility of cancer seriously for their younger patients. Couple this bias with the fact that individuals ages 20-40 are the least insured segment of the population, and many easily-reversible pre-cancerous conditions may go unnoticed until it’s too late.
If you are young and you are concerned about cancer, or if you are the concerned parent of a young adult, there are things you can do RIGHT NOW to keep healthy and cancer-free. Besides safe, very early detection, consider the following:
- If you smoke, stop! In addition to lung cancer, smoking increases your risk of multiple cancers including cancers of the esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon and rectum, and myeloid leukemia.
- If you drink more than 3 or more alcoholic beverages a week, cut back. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who have 3 drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer. The study also found that teenage girls who drink 3-5 alcoholic beverages per week have a greater risk of developing benign breast lumps which can turn into cancer later in life. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon cancer in men, including young men.
- If you eat at fast food joints, start to wean yourself off. Processed foods contain trans-fats and high sugar and carbohydrate loads that can lead to cancer, along with clogged arteries and a host of other disease conditions. Not convinced? Watch the movie Supersize Me with independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. You will never touch a McDonald’s French fry again! On that note, did you know that there are actually 19 ingredients in a McD’s french fry? One of them is Dimethylpolysiloxane, also known as Silly Putty, an anti-foaming agent used mostly for silicone sealants and caulking.
- Drink lots of fresh, pure water. Water is the best detoxifier. Also, choose a BPA-free plastic or glass container for your liquids and check the source of your drinking water. If you are drinking straight from the tap (or you have a simple under-the-sink filter), chances are you are taking in fluoride with each gulp. Fluoride has been added to most U.S. municipal water supplies since the 1960s and has been linked to neurological damage and hypothyroidism. Thyroid imbalance can develop into thyroid cancer if left unchecked. Reverse osmosis filtration is your best bet when it comes to filters.
- Throw away your microwave oven now! Microwaving is a source of radiation and radiation exposure causes cancer. If you do decide to use a microwave, NEVER heat things up in it that are surrounded by plastic or Styrofoam. If you do, you will be eating a toxic soup, not leftover pizza.
- If you eat meat, switch to those that have no hormones and no antibiotics. Eat only grass-fed, organic, and hormone-free. Cut back on your intake of pork as well, which tends to come with more toxin and parasitic build-up than other meat proteins do.
- Use organic body care products and household cleaners. Avoid products that contain chemicals like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
- Ladies – NEVER carry your cellphone in your bra. Gents – get your phone out of your pocket. When you talk on the phone, use the speaker function. Turn off your cell phone when you’re not using it. Also, don’t put your laptop or tablet on your lap when you are working online. EMF pollution (radiation) is real and it can cause cancer.
- Include some cancer-fighting foods in your diet every day. These include broccoli, flax, green, leafy veggies and omega-3 fatty acids which can be found in fresh, organic cold water fish or as a supplement. Also consider getting your vitamin D and iodine levels checked. Iodine can combat the effects of fluoride-overload mentioned earlier and helps to regulate both endocrine and reproductive system hormone levels. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to not only cancer, but also diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions, and autism.
- Finally, don’t stress out! Nothing is that important that you have to put your health at risk over it. And stress can be a killer that can lead to cancer. Instead, when you are feeling overwhelmed, take some deep, slow breaths, walk in nature, meditate, write in a journal, or do something creative that will help you nourish yourself, detox, de-stress, and feel vibrant every day!
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Article Summary
Currently, only about 4% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States are of young people. However that number is set to rise drastically in the coming years if nothing changes.
It’s no surprise that rates for diseases such as breast, thyroid, and colon cancer are on the rise in young people. Like the population at large, lifestyle, eating habits, and environmental toxins are the common cancer culprits when it comes to young people.
Young adults are the least insured and doctors may not take signs and symptoms seriously. As a result, many easily-reversible pre-cancerous conditions may go unnoticed until it’s too late.
As a young adult, here are 10 things you can do right now to reduce your risk of cancer:
- If you smoke, stop
- If you drink more than 3 or more alcoholic beverages a week, cut back
- If you eat at fast food joints, start to wean yourself off
- Drink lots of fresh, pure water
- Throw away your microwave oven
- If you eat meat, switch to those that have no hormones and no antibiotics
- Use organic body care products and household cleaners
- Keep your cell phone off your body
- Include some cancer-fighting foods in your diet every day
- Don’t stress out
What a wonderful list of suggestions and well placed to suggest tips for preventing cancer. Prevention is far better than most cures offered! One important suggestion that appears to have been left out is the raising of Glutathione levels. Raising the Glutathione level in the body will boost the immune system and being the body’s Master Antioxidant will remove toxins and heavy metals from the body. There are various ways of raising Glutathione levels. All help, even if just a little and some methods using capsules or IV Induced Glutathione may still help to some small extent but can be very expensive. We use PhotoTherapy patches, low in cost, safe, easy to use, no harmful side effects and extremely effective. The patches raise the Glutathione level far higher than any other known method, are available in over 100 countries and this same technology is even used in hospitals in Europe and elsewhere. Another great feature of these patches is toward Antiaging. While you are protecting yourself against free radicals in cells and removing harmful substances from the body these patches provide a mass of other benefits; improving organ function, assisting in overcoming many aging and health conditions and improving wellbeing. Find out all you can about raising Glutathione levels and why. Then find out all you can about Lifewave PhotoTherapy Glutathione patches. This could be one of the best things you do for yourself and anyone you care about? wellnessplus@adam.com.au
Good list but don’t forget the most important; the right foods.
http://bit.ly/1SnBIIi
This is a great list. Regarding cell phones, though, I’m a guy who keeps his cell phone in his pocket most of the time when I’m out and about. What safe alternatives would you suggest instead of keeping phones in our pockets? Thanks.
Get a case and clip it to your belt
http://dfuzeemf.com a small investment works like life insurance for you and your loved ones.
I agree with all statements, but we are missing one very important link to cancer in young women.
CONTRACEPTION PILLS, have been linked in many studies to not only cancer but many other serious problems in woman’s health including infertility. There are NFP, Natural Family Planing ways to learn and use. Yes, they require us to be more human and take into account our God given cycles.
I just wanted to say that! Should absolutely be on the list. Doctors in England Do mention the risks to women before they start taking contraception (like thrombosis and different kinds of cancer), and that’s the way it should be!
Itotally agree with jack gibes, as well as with the information provided.
I would add, for all sentient homo sapiens to put their energy ($$s) into wholistic / integrative / wellness systems that address causes rather than symptoms. Supporting the current cancer industry through donations / fundraisers, etc is actually counterproductive and promotes the current (symptom based) treatment model and rewards the chemical /pharma industries which are causing many cancers in the first place. Put your money where your health is, support clinics like the Forsythe Clinic in Nevada and other wholistic practitioners.
Completely agree IMNAHA!!! Thank You for bringing this up!!
Interesting list … however: lifestyle is a learned behavior so who is cancer-causing-behavior LEARNED FROM? Nerdy-types like doctors and literate biochemical folks don’t apply … play (like rope-skipping) … as much OUTDOORS as possible & forget anything electronic … eat plenty raw veggies and fruit … (like little tykes) drink plenty of just-warm water & eat ALL FRUIT WARM – it tastes better, too. GIVE OTHER FOLKS A BIG HUG!
You left the number one most important prevention. Stop vaccinating. End of story
I’ve been studying all of the behaviors both nutritionally and otherwise in the prevention of Cancer for over twenty years after having lost two sisters and two brothers to Cancer. This list is as close to perfect as any I have read or researched to preventing Cancer! Thank you for this informative article! And, if you are unlucky enough to still contract that disease, please, do your research into alternative treatments, not the conventional chemo/radiation/surgery that has a failure rate of 98% (only a 2% cure rate). Treatments such as using Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: (Cancer cells die with the infusion of oxygen). Hypothermia: (Cancer cells die in the presents of very high temperatures, without harming normal cells) and cut your Sugar intake drastically because Cancer cells thrive and multiply by using sugar for energy. These are just a few of the most successful treatments but there are so many more, but do your research!
Hypothermia is low body temp…?? Do cells die in hypo or hyperthermia??
Oops, so sorry about that misspelling… Yes, it should have read Hyperthermia. There is a special machine in Europe that heats the body temperature to somewhere around 106-107 degrees. Normal cells can handle that heat but cancer cells are fragile and die. The interesting thing is that it has been discovered that when some cancer patients have run a very high fever for some other reason, they are subsequently found to be cancer free at some point.
What has been described as ‘the Grand Prix of Epidemiology’ ie. ‘The China Study’ by Colin and Thomas Campbell shows the direct link between the growth of cancerous tumors and the consumption of animal foods, that is ALL animal foods: whether they are organic/grass fed or not the effect is THE SAME in terms of promoting cancer. This monumental study does not get the attention it deserves on this site !
Dermot,Cork,Ireland.
Eating too much junk food at fast food joint places, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol can cause cancer on people, when they get older, especially if they were doing those bad habits a lot when they were younger. I always thought that cancer was an old person’s disease, but obviously not. It can hit very young people including small children.
Very valuable tips.
Reguarding cell phones, do those EMF protection devices really work? I’m thinking about getting one to my cell phone and my IPad.
Another track to consider is our THINKING!!! Read Bruce Lipton’s ~ The Biology of Belief and you will get a sense of how liberated one can be from disease by changing our thinking> Just because there are family members who have contracted certain health problems, does not mean we have the sentence to get the same illnesses. Fascinating & empowering! May all Beings be liberated from limited thinking!
Well, if that isn’t scary enough, what is? How many young people have access to filtered water, are able to check where their meat comes from? Do those poor kids who have more that three drinks at a party need or want to know that they may develop BrC 20 yrs later. Is it true? What does that do for their stress levels?????
I have been using reverse osmosis in my whole house for years with additional filtering for my sink drinking water. My son is living at the home now. I have moved, started using distilled water for drinking. Purchased a countertop distiller. Can add minerals if I choose. My water is stored/ processed in glass or stainless steel only. Tastes delicious as I am removing dissolved residue plus filtering. All the suggestions above, I adhere to and encourage others to follow. I also encourage people to watch “The Human Experiment” focusing on the chemical industry.
Using stainless steel sounds like a good idea, but, and there is a but, the stainless steel container must attract a magnet. If the magnet does is not attracted to the ss that means that it contains a high % of nickel. Nickel is a known carcinogenic. All stainless is not created equal. When purchasing stainless steel cookware, or other products , take a refrigerator magnet with you to perform this test.