Medical Report: Can certain types of cancer be prevented?

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of the great misconceptions about cancer is that everyone who gets cancer was born to develop the condition and little can be done to prevent it.

Certain people are born with genes linked to cancer and many more have genes that put them at greater risk, but studies have shown that in people over the age of 30, 4 out of 10 new cancer cases can be prevented.

An obvious example of risky behavior is smoking cigarettes. Other contributors include alcohol and a diet high in red meat and processed foods.

Excess weight also increases our risk. Certain infections like HPV and hepatitis C have been linked to developing certain forms of cancer. There is not one cause for cancer.

Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough .

​​KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.