Cracking the code: How to reduce the chances of getting cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) National Center for Health Statistics.

And although cancer mortality rates are declining, a 2025 study from the American Cancer Society found that cancer cases are rising among women and younger people.

To learn more about how you can stay healthier, prevent cancer and get essential screenings, UCHealth Today spoke with Dr. Robert Hoyer, medical director of oncology research at the UCHealth Hematology and Oncology center in Colorado Springs.

Hoyer is an expert in lifestyle medicine and encourages people to tap into the power of adopting healthy, sustainable behaviors to reduce risks of getting cancer.

‘‘Cancer is both a lifestyle and a genetic risk condition,’’ Hoyer said.

So how can you reduce your chances of getting cancer?

It’s impossible to prevent cancer entirely, though you can reduce your risk by choosing a healthy lifestyle.

‘‘Genetics probably accounts for no more than 20% of cancer risk. We’re making progress in cancer treatment. … We’re making steady progress. I do think there needs to be more focus on cancer prevention,’’ Hoyer said.

How to reduce the chances of getting cancer?

Here are Hoyer’s top strategies for preventing cancer:

Avoid smoking

‘‘There are several cancers clearly tied to smoking, including lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. Those cancers can occur in non-smokers as well, of course, but avoiding smoking can reduce the risk. It also cuts the risk of heart disease, stroke and other conditions,’’ Hoyer said.

Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer and of death from cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Abstain from alcohol consumption

‘‘Drinking alcohol is related to an increased risk for cancers of the head and neck and breast cancer in women,’’ Hoyer said.

Read more about alcohol and health.

Move more

‘‘Get 120 to 150 minutes of some type of exercise per week,” Hoyer said. “It doesn’t have to be intense. Walking is fine. And some weight training is also helpful. Limit sitting as much as possible. If you work at an office, get a standing desk. Sitting a large portion of the day is a risk factor,’’ Hoyer said.

Eat healthy foods

‘‘You are what you eat,’’ is a popular phrase. And it’s true, Hoyer said.

If you want a healthier future, live by this conventional wisdom.

‘‘Metabolic health is a key aspect of cancer prevention, so avoid eating processed foods and sugar. Sugar is a toxin. In my opinion sugar is much more dangerous than saturated fat,” Hoyer said.

He advises patients to avoid eating foods with added sugar and encourages people to eat vegetables and healthy fruits like blueberries and strawberries.

It’s also wise to avoid highly processed oils like canola, corn, and vegetable oils. “These oils are highly inflammatory. Avocado and olive oil are much better options,’’ Hoyer said.

Get plenty of sleep

Poor sleep quantity and quality increases the long-term risk of developing cancer among older people, according to researchers at the National Center for Biotechnology Research.

‘‘Sleep is an important part of the immune system. Less than seven hours a day is associated with higher cancer risks,’’ Hoyer said.

Early detection

Guidance from the CDC, indicates that ‘‘getting screening tests regularly may find breast, cervical, colorectal (colon), and lung cancers early, when treatment is likely to work best.’’

‘‘Screening is to detect cancer early. When detecting cancer at an earlier stage it can be treated more effectively and so screening is clearly effective,’’ Hoyer said.

Get some sunlight, but be wary of skin cancer

Vitamin D exposure is healthy. And spending time outdoors early in the day helps with better sleep.

People in Colorado are at greater risk of getting skin cancer. So, it’s important to use sunscreen.

Cook more meals at home with real food

‘‘Our food culture has to change,” Hoyer said. “When you cook at home, you can use your own ingredients. Take the time to make your own food.”

Be aware of genetic risks

‘‘Genetics are a component of cancer risk, especially among individuals with a family history of cancer,” Hoyer said. “These individuals may need to undergo screenings at an earlier age and additional screening.  For example, someone with a high risk of breast cancer may benefit from mammograms and breast MRIs.”

Consult with your doctor to evaluate your genetic risks and to map out a plan to get recommended screenings.

Young people and women are at risk for cancer

Cancer cases are rising among people under age 50, especially among women. Medical experts don’t know exactly why.

Doctors are concerned about increasing alcohol use among younger women that puts that at higher risk for cancer.

And consumption of processed foods puts everyone at greater risk of cancer.

Screenings are especially important to detect cancer as early as possible.

Here’s a snapshot of data from the American Cancer Society:

• Women younger than age 50 are almost twice as likely to develop cancer than young men. Especially notable is the rise in colorectal cancer diagnoses among people younger than 50. Colorectal cancer is the first cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 and the second cause in women that age.
• Almost 1 out of 3 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 50 have a family history or genetic predisposition.
• Cervical cancer is increasing in incidence in an even younger population—women ages 30 to 44.
• Cancer mortality declined by 34% from 1991 to 2022 in the United States.

‘‘Cancer is now being detected earlier and treated more effectively,” Hoyer said.

‘‘Some cancers are actually decreasing. In older individuals, for example, there has been a decrease in colon cancer. But we’re seeing an increase in colon cancer in younger individuals. It’s probably related to diet and lifestyle factors,’’ Hoyer said.

‘‘The statistics show colon cancer was almost always a disease in people over age 50. Now we unfortunately see it in individuals in the late 30s or 40s.’’

(Read about a young woman and a young man who have battled colon cancer.)

‘‘Now the age for screening colonoscopy has been moved from 50 to 45,”

Ethnicity and cancer: Cancer rates are higher among ethnic minorities

‘‘We have seen consistently over the last 50 years that cancer risks are higher among ethnic and racial minorities. Both cancer rates and death rates are higher in minorities,” Hoyer said. “That’s partly due to lack of access to screening. It’s also related to lack of access to treatment. Because of all of these factors, mortality rates among minority populations are higher.”

Evidence from medical experts at the CDC underscores higher cancer risks for people who come from racial and ethnic minority groups:

• Compared to members of other racial and ethnic groups, Black and African American people have higher rates of getting and dying from many kinds of cancer, having the highest death rate for cancer overall.
• Hispanic women have a high rate of getting cervical cancer and the second highest rate of dying from cervical cancer, after non-Hispanic Black women.
• Lung cancer is the most common cancer among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations in five of the six Indian Health Service (IHS) regions in the United States. And in the Southwest region, lung cancer is the fourth most common cancer, after colorectal, kidney, and liver cancer,
• American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people are two to three times more likely to die from cancers of the cervix, kidney, liver, and stomach compared to White people.
• Black people are two times more likely to die from prostate, stomach, and uterine cancer than White people.
• Compared to White people, Hispanic people have 36% higher incidence of cervical cancer and about two times higher incidence of stomach and liver cancers, all of which are associated with infectious agents and largely preventable.

Data source: United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations.

Effective cancer screenings

Learn more about recommended cancer screenings:

• Breast cancer: Mammograms, an X-ray picture of the breasts used to find breast tumors and cancer.

• Cervix cancer: Pap, to perform the test, health providers use a small brush to get cells from the cervix and vagina. These cells are then examined in a lab.

• Prostate cancer: Blood test for prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, every one to two years.

• Colon cancer: Colonoscopy, your doctor looks at the entire length of your colon and rectum with a colonoscope, a thin, flexible, lighted tube with a small video camera on the end. Special instruments can be passed through the colonoscope to biopsy or remove any suspicious-looking areas such as polyps.

• Lung cancer: CT scans, a computerized tomography scan that uses X-ray techniques and show more detail than plain X-rays do.

Podcast for a healthy lifestyle

To promote greater awareness about the impact of healthy lifestyles, Dr. Hoyer, along with his colleague Dr. Abbass Shafii, created the 2DocsToc Podcast to guide listeners through evidence-based strategies in nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, and stress resilience.