A nationally respected leader in cancer prevention is furthering Siteman Cancer Center's mission to provide cancer prevention resources to the St. Louis region.
As his first year leading prevention and control at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine comes to a close, Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, is turning the spotlight on cancer prevention.
Prior to his move to Siteman, Dr. Colditz was director of the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention and leader of the cancer epidemiology program at the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. He also is a member of the Institute of Medicine, a prestigious group that advises the U.S. government on issues of public health. His expertise and vision complement the comprehensive cancer prevention and control program at the Siteman Cancer Center.
"I see my position as a chance to go beyond the work I've been doing to translate research into practice," says Dr. Colditz. "We can implement prevention strategies that work with health-care providers, that work at the community level and that work with individuals. We hope to have an impact on the entire community as a whole."
Reduce Your Risk
At Siteman, Dr. Colditz oversees cancer prevention and early detection research programs, ensuring public access to health information, screenings and treatment. By focusing on practical things people can do to reduce their risk, such as losing excess weight, getting regular physical activity and eating a healthy diet, he aims to help reduce the number of cancer cases diagnosed each year.
"The loss of life from cancer and the social impact of the disease are enormous," says Dr. Colditz. "Reducing risk by adopting lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and losing weight isn't always easy, but it may help to remember that these behavior changes also can reduce the risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis."
Dr. Colditz recommends the following preventive measures to reduce your risk for cancer.
Physical Fitness - Being overweight or physically inactive accounts for 20 to 30 percent of most cancers in the United States. Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk for breast and colon cancer. Even after a breast cancer diagnosis, regular exercise positively impacts recurrence and survival rates.
Healthy Diet - Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in red meat and animal fat, can help protect against cancer. Studies show a correlation between low folate, a B vitamin, in the diet and early cancer development, prompting experts to recommend a daily multivitamin with folate.
Other Factors - Smoking cessation will cut an individual's risk for cancer by 50 percent within five to 10 years. Moderate alcohol consumption - no more than one drink a day - might be beneficial, but alcohol abuse is associated with an increased risk for oral, esophageal, breast and other cancers.
For a free cancer awareness kit that includes information about prevention and early detection, call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627.