If you could get rid of cancer from your life, once and for all, would you do it? Of course you would. What if you had to make lifestyle changes – could you? According to the American Cancer Society, when people eat healthier foods, exercise, quit smoking and get regular health screenings, cancer rates are cut in half. So here goes…don't say we didn’t tell you.

1. Be smoke-free. This one’s a biggie in the cancer world. Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths. Most experts agree that tobacco use causes 90 percent of lung cancers in men and 80 percent of lung cancers in women.

And second-hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. Did you know that second-hand smoke can be more toxic than what the smoker is inhaling? Most cigarettes have a filter whereas smoke that wafts in the air from a burning cigarette contains 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and 70 are known carcinogens.

2. Hepatitis B and C. Both cause liver inflammation that can turn into liver cancer. And both are transmitted by the exchange of blood or bodily fluids. There is one difference -- hepatitis B has a vaccination recommended for sexually active, non-monogamous adults, people with sexually transmitted diseases, those with chronic liver disease, HIV infection, men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users and health care professionals who may come in contact with bodily fluids.

Hepatitis C has no vaccine, so the best way to treat it is to get screened for it. Left undiagnosed, hepatitis C can cause serious liver problems like liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure or cancer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommend anyone born between 1945 and 1965 get tested for hepatitis C. Baby boomers are five times more likely to have it. It is not completely understood why, but hepatitis C rates were highest in the '70s and '80s.

3. HPV, or human papillomavirus, attacks skin and cells lining body cavities. HPV is sexually transmitted, and up to 80 percent of people will be infected in their lifetime. Since 2008, girls 12 or 13 years of age can be vaccinated against the two types of HPV that are responsible for seven out of 10 cervical cancers.

4. Limit your intake of alcohol. Light consumption of red wine may cut your chances of heart problems. But there are researchers who say that any alcohol is bad for the human body, causing cancers such as liver, mouth, esophagus, breast, colorectal and throat. Daily consumption of more than 50 grams of alcohol increases cancer risks two to three times.

5. Protect your skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. Ultraviolet, or UV, rays appear to be the most important environmental factor. Staying out of the mid-day sun is key but if you work outside, make sure you use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. The higher the number, the more protection you will have. UV rays are greatest in late spring and early summer in North America. So keep that in mind when gardening or spending time outside. And for gosh sakes, avoid tanning beds, those UV rays are just as damaging as the sun’s rays.

6. Maintain a healthy weight. Doctors say to keep your weight down, as in avoid obesity, Fourteen percent of cancer deaths are weight related. Excess weight has been linked to gallbladder, endometrial, breast, esophageal, lung, colon, pancreatic and kidney cancers.

7. Eat healthy. Your dinner plate should be two-thirds colorful or deep green vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, and kale. Lean meats, fish, poultry or low-fat dairy can comprise the other third. People whose diets consist mostly of foods that come from plants tend to have a lower incidence of cancers. These include fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains. And don’t drink. If you do, limit yourself to one drink a day if you are a woman and two drinks a day if you are a man.
   

8. Physical activity helps to control weight and, on its own, may reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer. It may also help you deal with stress in a healthy way rather than self-medicating with tobacco, alcohol or other drugs that can lead to cancer. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. Other strategies can include involvement with hobbies, meditation, journaling or signing up for a community sports team.

9. Avoid risky behaviors. Practice safe sex because the more partners you have, the higher your risk for HIV or HPV or hepatitis C. People with AIDS or HIV have an increased rate of anal, liver and lung cancer. Though HPV is most associated with cervical cancer, it can also increase the risk of penis, anus, throat, vaginal or vulvar cancers. Also, never share needles.

10.  Avoid hormone replacement therapy if you can, especially if you have risk factors for breast cancer. Breast cancer is an estrogen-related cancer, which means it grows in the presence of estrogen. Birth control users face the same types of concerns with a reported increase in breast and cervical cancers among them.

Avoid BPAs, and other estrogen-like compounds that are widely used in plastics, personal products like makeup and soaps, and other household goods.

So armed with this information, you should be able to make informed decisions about choices that fit your lifestyle. It is your life to live, and you can choose a healthy lifestyle or stick with the typical sedentary and poor diet American lifestyle. One lifestyle is going to improve your quality of life, and the other will leave you tired, out of shape and possibly seriously ill.