Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting
cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer
in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower
the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers
from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective
factors. Anything that increases your chance of developing
cancer is called a cancer risk factor; anything that decreases
your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer protective
factor. Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many
cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes
are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can
be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be
protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk
factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk,
but it does not mean that you will not get cancer. Different
ways to prevent cancer are being studied, including: The colon
is part of the body's digestive