100 Ways You Can Help Fight Cancer

Do

1. Ask your doctor which cancer screenings are appropriate for you.
2. Women, talk to your doctor about scheduling a mammogram.
3. If you are age 50 and older, talk to your doctor about getting screened for colon cancer.
4. If you are age 21 or older and a woman, have an annual pap test, which screens for cervical cancer.
5. Visit http://www.cancer.org/ to learn about breast self exams or ask your doctor to show you the proper technique.
6. Visit www.cancer.org to learn more about cancer in general.
7. Remind your female friends and family members about breast and other self exams to detect cancer.
8. Remind your male friends and family members about testicular and other self exams to detect cancer.
9. Get checked for skin cancer, and remind friends and family members to do the same.
10. As you get older, look for any changes in moles and freckles. If you see any skin changes, show them to your doctor.
11. Men, talk to your doctor about getting checked for prostate cancer, and remind friends and family members to do the same.
12. Visit your dentist regularly. An oral cancer screening is part of a routine check up.
13. See an ophthalmologist for a comprehensive eye exam. A medical eye exam can detect cancer and other health issues.
14. Know your family’s cancer history, and get screened accordingly.
15. If you are African American, know about your increased risk for certain cancers.

Do

16. Visit www.cancer.org for cancer fighting tips.
17. Take a health assessment.
18. Donate $1 or $2 per paycheck to the American Cancer Society through your employer’s payroll deduction campaign.
19. Read and print out the cancer screening checklist.
20. Sign up for screening reminders.
21. Send an e-card from www.cancer.org encouraging a friend to get a checkup.
22. Create a tribute to a loved one.
23. Start or join an employee wellness program.
24. Talk to your doctor about the HPV vaccine.
25. Become an advocate for cancer issues by joining the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
26. Try spray-on tan instead of sunbathing.
27. Protect yourself from the sun by slipping on a shirt, slapping on a hat, slopping on sunblock and sliding on sunglasses.
28. Participate in clinical trials. Learn more through the American Cancer Society Clinical Trials Matching Service.
29. Move (your body)—hit the gym, take a walk, run, whatever for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
30. Don’t start smoking.
31. Quit smoking. Join the Great American Smokeout in November or call the Pennsylvania Free Quitline, (800) QUIT-NOW (784-8669).
32. Avoid secondhand smoke.
33. Support smoking bans in public places.
34. Wear a pink ribbon to show your support for the fight against breast cancer.
35. Donate your unused airline miles to the American Cancer Society Air Miles program.
36. Grow and donate your hair for a wig.
37. Purchase daffodils during the American Cancer Society Daffodil Days®.
38. Attend one cancer awareness/prevention/fundraising event a month.
39. Promote the Cancer Survivors Network.
40. Attend a Coaches vs. Cancer® event. For dates and locations, visit www.cancer.org/coaches.
41. Become an ACS charity runner if you’re into marathons, triathlons and endurance events.
42. Talk to an American Cancer Society planned giving officer about your financial, tax, and estate planning options. Call (800) ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org for more information.
43. Aim to be active for at least 30 minutes, five or more days per week – even more is better!
44. Patronize online auctions like MissionFish that donate a percentage of proceeds to cancer organizations.
45. Donate your used vehicle to Cars for a Cure®.
46. Give to the American Cancer Society in memory or in honor of someone.
47. Watch cancer-related videos.
48. Post those video links on your social media sites or email them to your friends and family.
49. Participate in Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3).
50. Sign up to participate in the American Cancer Society’s “I Can Cope” series, a free educational program for people facing cancer – either personally or as a friend or family caregiver. Classes are available online.
51. Buy a Pennsylvania Golf Pass. Make a $30 donation to American Cancer Society and receive a free round of golf. For a complete list of participating courses or for more information, call (717) 533-6144, ext. 3062.
52. Buy American Cancer Society gear and apparel.
53. Watch “Fight Cancer with Fun” videos for tips on being more active at home, at work, and in your neighborhood.
54. Sign up for monthly cancer prevention and early detection tips at www.cancer.org.
55. Sign up for a mammogram reminder.
56. Have regular conversations with your family members about the importance of cancer prevention and early detection, and set an example at home.

Nourish

57. Eat fresh foods. More than 80 percent of Pennsylvanians correctly said that diet plays a role in preventing some forms of cancer in a recent Patient Poll.
58. Accept the Great American Eat Right Challenge.
59. Write down exactly what and how much you eat and drink. Keeping a food/drink journal can help you quit bad habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
60. Stock your pantry with healthy items. Print a shopping list online.
61. Choose whole grains over refined grains.
62. Limit smoked or pickled foods.
63. Steam your veggies.
64. Balance calorie intake with physical activity.
65. Drink lots of water.
66. Drink tea.
67. Limit alcohol consumption, if you drink at all, to no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks a day for men.
68. Eat power-packed foods like kiwi, tomatoes, cantaloupe, Brazil nuts, and garlic.
69. Choose lean meats and avoid animal fat.
70. Get enough calcium and folate (a B vitamin that is essential for cell growth and reproduction) through proper diet.
71. Trade in your large dinner plate for a smaller salad plate. Smaller plates will give the illusion of larger portions.
72. Memorize five antioxidants and include them in your diet.

Help

73. Help someone stop smoking –accompany him or her to a smoking cessation class, offer to take walks when needed, refer him or her to the Pennsylvania Free Quitline, (800) QUIT-NOW (784-8669).
74. When your friends, co-workers and family members have questions about cancer, direct them to the American Cancer Society website and encourage them to speak with their doctors.
75. Consider bone marrow or kidney donation. For more information, visit the Family Health and Wellness website.
76. Form a meal delivery network for someone undergoing cancer treatment.
77. Volunteer for Road to Recovery, a free service that provides cancer patients with transportation to and from their outpatient cancer treatments. Call (800) ACS-2345 or visit the Cancer Society website.
78. Offer to babysit so that your friends and family members can undergo cancer screenings.
79. Promote the Cancer Survivors Network, an emotional support system accessible on the Internet created by and for cancer survivors and caregivers.
80. Buy and deliver groceries to a family fighting cancer.
81. Help with the family’s ongoing chores; mow the lawn, walk the dog, keep the kids overnight, or do the laundry.
82. Offer to house out-of-town visitors for your cancer patient friends.’.
83. Volunteer at a cancer treatment center.
84. Form a Relay for Life team. Find a local event and sign up at http://www.relayforlife.org/.
85. If a loved one is a cancer survivor, take them to your local Relay for Life and encourage them to walk in the Survivors Victory lap.
86. Participate in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, the American Cancer Society’s noncompetitive walk.
87. Support a Coaches vs. Cancer event. Volunteer, contribute, and attend.

Use Your Skills and Talents

88. Add cancer awareness links—such as http://www.cancer.org/—to your personal email signature or social media pages.
89. Post or link to this list on social media pages.
90. Post daily about what you’re doing to fight cancer.
91. Are you a licensed cosmetologist? Volunteer for Look Good…Feel Better®, an American Cancer Society workshop that teaches women with cancer how to understand and care for changes in skin and hair that may occur during treatment.
92. Are you a massage therapist? Offer complimentary massages to cancer patients and their caregivers.
93. In financial services? Offer to help with a cancer patient’s family finances—managing hospital bills, insurance, and disability.
94. In the trades or construction? Offer your services to a cancer patient. Help with home repairs, ramp construction ,and routine maintenance.
95. Donate something to a cancer-related auction.
96. Organize and host a fundraiser for a cancer patient.
97. Donate your long hair to cancer charities, like Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths.
98. Promote the early detection and prevention programs of the American Cancer Society.
99. Volunteer to entertain children in a pediatric cancer facility.

Please

100. Pick one thing YOU CAN DO and do it right now!