How can you mitigate your risk?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2% to 8% of all cancers worldwide are caused by exposures to carcinogens — those substances identified as causing cancer — on the job.
For example, some chemicals involved with many jobs have been associated with higher cancer risk such as construction, painting, agriculture, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, mining, petrol refineries, transportation and distribution.
However, other jobs one may not suspect also raise cancer risk, such as working as a flight attendant or pilot, office worker, night shift employee or firefighter. For flight attendants and pilots, spending so much time exposed to UV radiation in the not-so-friendly skies can ramp up risk.
Office workers’ inactivity can mean reduced overall health. A sedentary lifestyle has been strongly correlated in recent years with increased cancer risk. Unfortunately, an occasional workout isn’t enough to combat this risk.
Working the night shift disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm and can cause systemic changes that make the body more susceptible to developing cancer.
Firefighters often inhale toxic fumes when manmade objects burn.
Of course, anyone working in these types of careers should use personal protective equipment. Employers are required by law to provide that equipment. In addition, workers can use other means to reduce their risk for cancer.
A first step may be to determine the level of exposure. Molly Ranney, dietitian with UR Medicine, said that a functional medicine doctor can order a blood panel draw to determine if the person has undue exposure to things such as mercury.
“It’s a piece of the puzzle that hasn’t been focused on but can bring about good health,” Ranney said. “For anyone with long-term exposure to some of these environmental or occupational exposures it’s definitely worth pursuing.”
Providers can offer guidance as to the level of risk, damage done and what the worker can do to lower their risk. Lifestyle habits can assist in reducing risk.
“You may not be able to stop damage, but you can detox your bodies,” said Marge Pickering Picone, certified life coach and owner of Professional Nutrition Services of Rochester, Inc. in Webster. “The better you take care of your system, the better your body runs.
“You can’t say that anything eliminates risk, but you can support your body and help it thrive through the worst. If you do nothing about the poison attacking you and put more poison on top of it, that raises risk. But if you do what you can to reduce risk, you’re in a better space.”
Diet makes a difference. Focusing on whole foods, produce, lean sources of protein and whole grains can bolster overall health.
“Everything runs on fuel,” Picone said. “Every cell you have runs on fuel. If you keep feeding it the wrong fuel, the bad cells become the norm. The healthier the person keeps himself, the better he or she will respond during a ‘body crisis.’”
As alluded above, exercise is a key component for reducing cancer risk. But the “weekend warrior” complex is not as helpful as more regular sessions of activity, such as taking a half-hour walk twice a day and lifting weights twice weekly. Or taking a 15-minute lunchbreak walk daily, an aerobic workout two to three times a week and lifting weights twice weekly. Consistency is key, not just intensity.
“It makes a difference if you get out in the fresh air and exercise and get your feet in the grass,” Picone said. “You feel better and are in better health.”
Exercise represents a great way to manage stress and promote restorative rest. Sleep six to nine hours nightly, going to bed and rising at the same time every day. This can help set the circadian rhythm and stabilize hormones.
Maintain a healthy weight and keep health numbers in check such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Take any prescribed medication and follow doctor’s instructions for keeping chronic health issues in check.
Anyone who notices a change in their bodies such as a persistent cough or fever; unexplained weight loss, fatigue or pain; growing moles or lesions or lumps should contact their primary care provider. While these are all general symptoms that could be attributed to many other causes, they may indicate cancer and that should be ruled out.