7. Limit exposure to radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes from the sun, sunlamps or commercial tanning beds, is the primary cause of skin cancer, the most common of all cancers.
8. Protect against infection: Infections caused by viruses are recognized as risk factors for several types of cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease, is the most common cause of cervical cancer. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C increase the risk of liver cancer. They are most often spread through contact with contaminated blood, from contaminated needles or by having unprotected sex. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, also increases the risk of several types of cancer. It's most commonly transmitted by unprotected sex or sharing of needles.
9. Consider chemoprevention: Chemoprevention is the use of natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the risk of cancer or its recurrence. Tamoxifen, prescribed to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women, is the best known chemoprevention agent. A caution: chemoprevention drugs can have serious side effects.
10. Get recommended screening exams: Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies and other routine screenings can't prevent cancer. But screenings can help find cancers early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.
Pass on the Gas: Tips to Reduce Flatulence
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Passing gas -- flatulence -- is normal and happens to everyone. But for some people, excessive gas and pain interfere with normal activities. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers tips to reduce gas.
Gas is often caused by what and how one eats and drinks. "One common cause is swallowed air," says G. Richard Locke, III, M.D., a Mayo Clin
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