The dreaded C-word... cancer. It's a leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million people dying from the disease every year. An estimated 618,120 cancer-related deaths are estimated in 2025, in the United States alone. While many of the causes are widely publicized, like smoking, there are others that aren't spoken about too much.
Someone recently asked oncologists to name the things they never/always do, or eat, because of what they know about cancer, and thousands of responses followed. From using as little plastic as possible, to never drinking alcohol, cancer experts were happy to share their advice with netizens. Among the replies were a few that revealed whether or not you get cancer is largely to do with the luck of the draw.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the top answers for you to scroll through. And some might have you rethinking your lifestyle choices. We've also put together some info on cancer, based on stats and data from the National Cancer Institute. You'll find that between the images.
#21
Not oncologist but hospice nurse. End stage alcoholic liver disease is the most horrifying way to go, and doing what I do has completely changed my relationship with alcohol.
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14points
#22
I will always make sure my nieces and nephews are well protected in the sun. Sunburn, especially in childhood, is what significantly increases the risk for melanoma! I also nag at my other family members about good sun protection, as it is prolonged sun exposure that increases the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers.
Wear your sun cream people and do not use sun beds!
EDIT: I’m not an oncologist, but I am a health care professional! I posted this in the middle of the night, and in my sleep deprived state failed to realise the question was aimed oncologists. I hope my answer is still credible and helpful to people!
Wear your sun cream people and do not use sun beds!
EDIT: I’m not an oncologist, but I am a health care professional! I posted this in the middle of the night, and in my sleep deprived state failed to realise the question was aimed oncologists. I hope my answer is still credible and helpful to people!
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13points
#23
I'm an oncology nurse and I go out of my way to never heat anything up in plastic. I go out of my way to not buy any drinks that are in plastic. I also pretty much drink alcohol maybe once or twice a year. Sunscreen no matter what & daily physical activity no matter what.
12points
#24
I work in path, meaning i’m a doc who uses a microscope to see the f****d up cells taken out of the pt and order whatever molecular-based/immunology based workup (for the actual docs, it’s immunohistochemistry) for identification and prognostication.
on one point, i’ve seen cancers linked to years of smoking and alcohol use. i’ve seen cases of colon and cervical cancers in people who’ve neglected their screenings. i’ve seen pts with more risk factors than a rap sheet have a mildly dysplastic growth on their (insert anatomical part here) and live perfectly normally afterwards
on the other hand, just like many of the people who’ve commented here, there’s been a rise in number of pts with late-stage (stage II, III, IV) breast, cervical, ovarian, lung, stomach, kidney, etc cancers in pts with few if any risk factors, the cause of which is still unknown as to what’s driving this increase. whoever finds out why more gen Xers and millennials are getting cancer at such higher incidence rates than BB’s will win a nobel.
in essence, reduce/eliminate whatever bad habits you can such as smoking and drinking, get exercise, eat fiber, but don’t see it as a guarantee against cancer. no one is too young to get it (youngest colorectal case i saw was in their early 20s) but raising up symptoms with a doc who actually cares is important. too many of the old school BB docs blowing off symptoms when there’s been a massive rise in LAMNs, aggressive ovarian cancers, and diffuse gastric adenoCas in this country.
in addition, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, plus targeted radiation and/or new chemo protocols for leukemias and solid tumors has grown exponentially, mainly due to advances in molecular characterization. just recently as of 2 months ago we are testing for a certain molecule common in GI cancers that, if present in someone’s tumor, renders them eligible for a newly developed targeted therapy option.
on one point, i’ve seen cancers linked to years of smoking and alcohol use. i’ve seen cases of colon and cervical cancers in people who’ve neglected their screenings. i’ve seen pts with more risk factors than a rap sheet have a mildly dysplastic growth on their (insert anatomical part here) and live perfectly normally afterwards
on the other hand, just like many of the people who’ve commented here, there’s been a rise in number of pts with late-stage (stage II, III, IV) breast, cervical, ovarian, lung, stomach, kidney, etc cancers in pts with few if any risk factors, the cause of which is still unknown as to what’s driving this increase. whoever finds out why more gen Xers and millennials are getting cancer at such higher incidence rates than BB’s will win a nobel.
in essence, reduce/eliminate whatever bad habits you can such as smoking and drinking, get exercise, eat fiber, but don’t see it as a guarantee against cancer. no one is too young to get it (youngest colorectal case i saw was in their early 20s) but raising up symptoms with a doc who actually cares is important. too many of the old school BB docs blowing off symptoms when there’s been a massive rise in LAMNs, aggressive ovarian cancers, and diffuse gastric adenoCas in this country.
in addition, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, plus targeted radiation and/or new chemo protocols for leukemias and solid tumors has grown exponentially, mainly due to advances in molecular characterization. just recently as of 2 months ago we are testing for a certain molecule common in GI cancers that, if present in someone’s tumor, renders them eligible for a newly developed targeted therapy option.
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10points
#26
Yeah, its a crapshoot.
20 yr smoker, heavy and light drinking 45 yrs
various d***s & physical recklessness 10 yrs
very bad diet 30+ yrs.
60 Cancer free
sister has never smoked, done d***s, light drinker, decent diet & exercise . . Cancer at 55.
I will say that while being currently cancer-free is great, there are PLENTY of reasons to take better care of yourself than I have.
Being cancer-free at 60 is great, but not so great when you feel closer to 80 half the time.
20 yr smoker, heavy and light drinking 45 yrs
various d***s & physical recklessness 10 yrs
very bad diet 30+ yrs.
60 Cancer free
sister has never smoked, done d***s, light drinker, decent diet & exercise . . Cancer at 55.
I will say that while being currently cancer-free is great, there are PLENTY of reasons to take better care of yourself than I have.
Being cancer-free at 60 is great, but not so great when you feel closer to 80 half the time.
10points
#27
Not an oncologist, but I had an Air Pollution lecturer once state that he does not eat barbecued food because of the charring and smoke residue carcinogen levels.
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9points
#29
My sil has always been insanely healthy. Her degree is in Nutrition. She is very active, never smoked- rarely drank. She is 58 and has terminal breast cancer.
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7points
#30
Alcohol hands down
I also feel guilty every time I eat too much sugar.
I also feel guilty every time I eat too much sugar.
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6points
