Prevention and Screening

Prevention

You can help reduce your risk of getting cancer by keeping your body healthy. These are things that you can do:

Be physically active. Exercise for 30 to 45 minutes on most days of the week. You can keep moving by working out at the gym or just taking the dog for a walk. This will help keep your body weight under control.
Eat foods that are healthy choices.
Do not drink alcohol.
Do not smoke. Stay away from environments that are smoke filled.

Screening

Screening for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer can find cancer early, before you notice any symptoms. It is important to be screened for cancer even if you do not have any symptoms. In the early stages, breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer can be hard to see or feel. Cancer screening can find abnormal changes or cancer that is still at an early stage. For example: there is a 90% chance of beating colorectal cancer if its is caught early.

You can use the Time to Screen Tool to find out when you should start cancer screening. Talk to your family doctor or health care provider today.

Information for the Public:

Cancer Screening for People Without a Primary Care Provider

Information for Healthcare Providers:

Stand Up For Your Health

Is sitting really that bad for you? Yes! Regular movement is essential to keep your body working properly. Prolonged sitting has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity, and other health issues.

For many, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the time we spend sitting each day as the world has become more "virtual". The need to get up and go places, like to the office or appointments, has decreased now that many things can be done online instead of in-person. In the workplace, most meetings were changed to video calls which eliminated the need to get up and move from one meeting room to the next throughout the day. The unintended consequence of this new virtual world, meant to keep us safe from COVID-19, was a steep increase in prolonged sitting time.

One woman who works from home told us about how her smartwatch counted an average of 462 steps each day. Her routine included going from her bedroom to her home office down the hall, to the bathroom a few times each day, and then to the couch at the end of the day to watch TV. Her experience is not unique. Even before the pandemic, Canadians were averaging less daily steps than many other countries.

We need to take a STAND for our health! In addition to increasing your chance of obesity, muscle pain, and heart disease, sitting for the majority of the day has been found to increase your risk for developing colon cancer by 28-44%. While regular exercise is great for your overall health, it's not enough to counteract the effects of excessive sitting. It's not enough to just be active, you also need to sit less.

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to break up your sitting time and reduce your risks. By getting up and walking, moving, or stretching for a few minutes every hour, you can decrease the negative impacts of sitting. For example, you can do walking meetings or stand up to take a call, use the stairs when possible, take 1-2 minute stretch breaks every hour throughout the day, or place something you use often on the other side of the room so you need to get up to use it. Simple changes can make a big difference! To learn more, please review the links below.

Stand up for your health!

Prevention and Screening

Prevention

Screening

Stand Up For Your Health

Media:

How Sitting Impacts Your Health and Tips to Help You Sit Less:

Research Articles: