Quit smoking
Research has found a strong link between tobacco use and many cancers. You can quit smoking and greatly reduce your risk of developing cancer and other serious diseases.

• SmokeFree.gov and NCI's Smoking Quitline, 1-877-44U-QUIT - Different people need different resources as they try to quit. The assistance available by Web or phone can support your needs as you become a nonsmoker.
• NCI’s Smoking Information - Our collection of NCI resources related to smoking and tobacco includes links to free help to quit smoking, tobacco facts, clinical trials related to smoking, and tobacco and smoking information in Spanish.

Talk with your doctor about cancer screening
Cancer screening may help lower your risk of developing certain cancers or find cancer early, when it may be most treatable. You should talk with your healthcare professional about appropriate cancer screening tests.

• Screening and Testing to Detect Cancer - Our Web page offers screening and testing information for consumers and healthcare professionals on a number of specific cancers.

Improve your diet
Eating a healthy diet may reduce your risk of developing cancer and other serious illnesses. A healthy diet includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts and is also low in salt and added sugars.

• Body & Soul: A Celebration of Healthy Eating and Living - Body & Soul is a health program developed for African American churches. The program encourages church members to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables every day for better health.
  • Another resource tailored for African American families is the Down Home Healthy Cooking cookbook, filled with tips and recipes for healthy entrees, side dishes, and desserts.
• Fruits and Veggies Matter - At this Web site created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and others, you can calculate your personal fruit and vegetable needs, find healthy fruit and vegetable recipes, and learn new ideas for eating fruits and vegetables.

Increase your activity
Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of colon, breast, and other cancers. Increasing your physical activity may help reduce your risk of developing these cancers.

• Physical Activity Guidelines - This NCI Cancer Bulletin article reports findings and recommendations about physical activity and cancer control. Small steps can make a difference. Researchers found that cancer survivors improved their quality of life by taking 30-minute walks three times a week.
• NCI Physical Activity Fact Sheet - Our fact sheet answers questions about how physical activity is related to health and the relationship between physical activity and some cancers.

Here are just a few of the cancer control research initiatives under way with NCI support.

Smoking

• Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND) - In partnership with the American Legacy Foundation, this initiative seeks to understand and address tobacco-related health disparities.

Screening

• Community Networks Program - The Community Networks Program seeks to improve access to and use of cancer interventions and treatments in communities experiencing cancer health disparities. Many of the program partnerships involve clinics that provide cancer screening.

Diet and Physical Activity

• Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Initiative - Scientists supported by NCI are conducting research to learn how the combined effects of obesity, poor diet, and low levels of physical activity increase cancer risk. They are also searching for effective ways to prevent obesity. See https://www.compass.fhcrc.org/trec for opportunities to participate in a TREC study.
• Health, Eating, Activity, and Lifestyle (HEAL) Study - This NCI-funded study of 1,200 diverse women with early-stage breast cancer seeks to reduce risk of recurrence and improve survival by examining the associations among lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet.

To learn more about your investment in cancer research and to read about real people with cancer who have agreed to tell their stories, visit NCI’s Science Serving People.