Much of mesothelioma cancer can be prevented
There are many different things that can cause mesothelioma cancer, and there is usually no way to know if a person has mesothelioma cancer because of a specific thing:
Lung cancer is usually caused by tobacco use.
Cervical cancer is usually caused by a viral infection.
Most other cancers seem to be caused by exposure to certain harmful substances.
We cannot prevent all cancers but we can reduce the risk of cancer by limiting the things that make it more common.
Avoid smoke and smoking
Smoking causes lung cancer, as well as cancer of the colon, bladder and neck. This can lead to heart disease, stroke, lung infections, and ulcers, and when pregnant women smoke or inhale other people's cigarette smoke, their babies are more likely to become ill or to be born dangerously small. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of cancer for smokers, and it will also protect your family and friends no matter what age you quit smoking. See Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco (being compiled) to learn more about how to quit smoking.
Indoor cooking fires increase the risk of cancer and lung disease. Creating a smoke-free or low-smoke cooking stove and letting out the fumes (an aid to the community on environmental health) reduces the chances of cancer for the whole family.
Pollution from factories, cars, and trucks causes cancer. If people demand it and if the law requires it, they can be forced to produce less smoke and less cancer.
It is dangerous to work in a smoky environment. If you and your colleagues can improve the ventilation system with your officer, or at least arrange for you to be given a filtered mask (breathing), your health will improve.
Drink small amounts of alcohol
Drinking more than one or two glasses of alcohol per day increases the risk of several cancers. Breast cancer, liver cancer, stomach and intestinal cancer, mouth and throat cancer are all related to alcohol consumption. Drinking less can provide more money for daily meals and other household needs. See Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco (being compiled) for more information on how to stop drinking.
Avoid infection and treat it
The bacterium called H. pylori that causes stomach ulcers can cause stomach cancer if left untreated. If you have recurrent stomach ulcers, it can be treated with the medicine described in the abdominal pain, diarrhea and worms chapter.
Hepatitis B and C can cause liver cancer. There are vaccines for hepatitis B, and both hepatitis B and C can be prevented by using condoms during sexual intercourse and without reusing injection needles. Learn more about hepatitis.
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus, a Sexually Transmitted Infection, see page 12) causes cervical cancer in women and many other cancers in women and men. There is an antidote to protect against HPV.
HPV causes a number of cancers, especially capsular sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cervical cancer. Prevent HIV by using condoms during sexual intercourse and not reusing needles.
Good food creates good health
Eating habits can play a role in preventing or preventing cancer. Full grains every day, and fresh vegetables and fruits can help protect you from many cancers and other ailments. See how to eat well even if you have little money. Cereals and bean seeds can be stored in a well-ventilated room to prevent damage by a fungus that can cause liver cancer.
Access to health care
When people have access to good quality healthcare, their health is better and more cancers are prevented. Access to health care also helps to detect cancer at an early stage which makes its treatment more successful.
Avoid contact with chemicals
Thousands of chemicals are being made and used in factories and in agriculture, and they are being released into the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. There are some chemicals that are harmful to our health, some of them that cause cancer or play a role in causing cancer. Unfortunately there is no law to force us to prove that chemicals are safe before use, so we are often late in learning about the dangers of chemicals. Increased use of chemicals around the world is one of the reasons behind the rising rate of cancer. Chemicals and important ways to prevent cancer include:
A chemical must be considered dangerous before it can be proven safe.
Avoid using pesticides and chemical cleaners, or recycling any containers containing chemicals.
Do not burn plastic or other wastes (this will add toxic fumes to the air we do not breathe).
If you can't convince your boss to use safe chemicals in your workplace, try not to inhale or touch them. Use gloves, masks, and protective clothing, and wash your hands often so that chemicals do not get into your food or mouth.
Make strong demands on your government to ensure that power plants and factories handle their waste safely and do not cause pollution. To learn more about organizing your community against exposure to chemicals, see a guide for the community on environmental industry health.