What Can I Do?
If you are an Arkansan:
- Stop smoking or never start.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, and maintain a healthy weight.
- Increase your daily physical activity.
- Know when to be screened and do it on schedule.
- Support smoke-free environment legislation.
- If diagnosed, consider enrolling in a clinical trial.
- Show your support and care for those who are diagnosed with cancer.
- Volunteer with your hospital, health department, faith community or local American Cancer Society.
- Ensure your cancer cases are reported in a timely manner.
- Provide meeting space for cancer and/or survivor support groups.
- Collaborate to sponsor community screening programs.
- Acquire or maintain American College of Surgeons accreditation.
- Provide cancer awareness information to citizens.
- Make sure patients get appropriate cancer screening tests.
- Refer patients to smoking cessation classes and nutrition programs.
- Enroll patients in clinical trials.
- Make earlier referrals to hospice for end-of-life care.
- Provide cancer awareness and prevention information.
- Promote cancer screening among clients or members.
- Encourage participation in clinical trials.
- Collaborate to provide community prevention programs.
- Provide healthy foods at meetings and gatherings.
- Open your building for walking clubs in cold weather.
- Secure funding for comprehensive cancer control.
- Raise constituents' awareness about cancer prevention and control programs in your district, or help establish new programs where needed.
- Sponsor or support legislation that promotes cancer prevention and control.
- Ensure that all Arkansans have access to healthcare and to cancer early detection and screening services.
- Ensure that tobacco settlement funds are used for tobacco and cancer control purposes.
- Provide cancer awareness and prevention information.
- Promote cancer screening and participation in clinical trials.
- Collaborate to provide community prevention and screening programs.
- Provide healthy foods in vending machines and cafeterias.
- Make your facilities smoke-free.
- Include cancer prevention and physical education messages in health classes.
Protective Steps
The CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity offers research and information for ways to prevent and control chronic diseases. Following its recommendations may reduce your risk of being diagnosed with cancer during your lifetime. Click here to browse the information.
Nutritional Guidelines
The resources included below offer personalized eating plans, interactive tools to assess your food choices, access to government information on food and helpful advice.
Physical Activity Guidelines
The CDC states that regular physical activity may help reduce your risk for many diseases including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, colon and breast cancers and osteoporosis. It helps control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints; and reduces falls among older adults. Follow the links below for recommendations on how much activity you need and new ideas to get you moving.
- American Heart Association
- Centers for Disease Control
- Arkansas Governor's Council
- The Big Dam Bridge
Saying NO to Tobacco
According to the CDC, cigarette smoking increases the risk for many types of cancer including cancers of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, lung, kidney and more. The benefits of quitting start as soon as 20 minutes from the last cigarette and continue for days and years. Visit the Web sites below for more information on tobacco use, or to quit smoking call the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Obesity Reduction
The CDC reports that between 1980 and 1999 the prevalence of overweight adolescents nearly tripled, and nearly doubled among children ages 6 to 11. As this generation grows older, the trend forecasts an increase in chronic disease. The links below provide information on what's being done to combat this trend and a Body Mass Index table to determine where you stand.
American Cancer Society Screening Guidelines
Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer
These ACS cancer screening guidelines are recommended for those people at average risk for cancer (unless otherwise specified) and without any specific symptoms.
People who are at increased risk for certain cancers may need to follow a different screening schedule, such as starting at an earlier age or being screened more often. Those with symptoms that could be related to cancer should see their doctor right away.