Stony Brook Cancer Center Offers Tips For Cancer Prevention

Press release from Stony Brook Cancer Center:

Feb. 16, 2022

Letter to the Editor
Cancer Prevention in Action Program
February 2022 - National Cancer Prevention Month

Dear Editor,

Some cancers can be prevented by staying up to date on cancer screenings and getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. February is National Cancer Prevention Month but being aware is not enough. We need to take action against cancer! Here are tips from the Stony Brook Cancer Center on how you can take action to prevent cancer:

Schedule your screening: Screenings for cervical and skin cancer can find the cells that lead to cancer so that they can be removed before cancer grows. HPV causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer as well as five other cancers. The HPV vaccine prevents most of these cancers, including cervical cancer.

Practice prevention: You can lower your risk for certain cancers through making healthy choices. These include not smoking, protecting your skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun or tanning beds, keeping a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol.

The Cancer Prevention in Action Program (CPiA) at Stony Brook Cancer Center works to lower cancer incidence rates in our community. CPiA educates health care providers, community organizations, parents, and young adults about the importance of the HPV vaccine. CPiA also works with businesses, schools, and other community partners to adopt sun safety policies to reduce exposure to cancer-causing UV rays.

If you would like more information about how to prevent cancer for yourself or your organization, call the CPiA Program at Stony Brook Cancer Center. We can provide education, strategies, and resources to help you put cancer prevention into action.

To learn more about how the CPiA Program can help you take action against cancer, visit takeactionagainstcancer.com or contact us at 631-444-4263 COE@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

Annalea Trask
Program Coordinator, Cancer Prevention in Action Program
Stony Brook Cancer Center

This press release was produced by Stony Brook Cancer Center. The views expressed here are the author's own.