Liver and spleen cancer are among the most common malignancies in the world. Every year, an estimated 250,000 new cases of liver and spleen cancer are diagnosed.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 80% of these cancers are attributed to hereditary factors. But even if you don’t have a family history of the disease, you can still increase your risk of getting liver and spleen cancer. The risk is highest for those who drink large amounts of alcohol or have hepatitis B or C.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help prevent liver and spleen cancer.
The following are 12 effective ways you can lower your risk of getting this deadly disease.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is the main cause of many cancers, including liver and spleen. If you smoke, you increase your risk of getting liver and spleen cancer by about 20 times. If you smoke and are over the age of 50, your risk increases by 30 times.
If you want to protect your spleen and liver, you should quit smoking as soon as possible. The longer you smoke, the more damage you do to your spleen and liver.
The risks of developing cancer are higher in people who start smoking as teenagers.
If you’re a smoker who wants to protect their liver and spleen, you should try to quit smoking as soon as possible. Quitting is the single most important thing you can do to prevent liver and spleen cancer, and even quitting temporarily can make a difference.
Avoid exposure to radiation
Exposure to high levels of radiation, such as that caused by a nuclear fallout, can damage our DNA and cause cancers. Because radiation can damage the DNA in our cells, our bodies try to repair this damage. But our bodies don’t know how to completely repair damaged DNA, so it sometimes mistakes healthy cells for damaged ones.
This can cause our immune system to attack our own healthy cells, resulting in cancers.
Fortunately, the risks of contracting radiation-induced cancers is very low, and there is no evidence that a single dose of radiation can cause cancer.
Still, people that are exposed to high levels of radiation, such as during a nuclear fallout, should try to avoid developing liver and spleen cancers. Protecting your spleen and liver from the fallout is the best way to prevent these cancers.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of developing liver and spleen cancers, regardless of your weight at birth. In fact, researchers have found that people who are severely obese have a 35% higher risk of developing these cancers.
If you’re overweight, you should try to lose weight. Reducing your body mass can help protect your liver and spleen, as well as reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
While diet is an important part of the equation, maintaining a healthy weight is mainly a physical activity issue. When you’re physically active, you burn calories, which helps you maintain a healthy weight.
If you want to lose weight, you should try to get more physical activity. Even if you don’t manage to get as active as you’d like, even a small amount of activity will help. It’s important to stay consistent and make sure to keep up your effort over time.
Choose Healthy Foods
Many types of food are good for you, and liver and spleen cancer. Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals that can protect your liver and spleen.
Spinach, broccoli, avocados and Brussels sprouts are just a few of the many veggies that are great for protecting your liver and spleen.
Nuts are also packed with nutrients, and can be a great addition to a cancer-fighting diet.
If you’re not a fan of veggies, you can still get your fill of these healthy foods by eating fruits. Apples, oranges, grapefruits, kiwis and pomegranates are just a few of the many fruits that are packed with cancer-fighting nutrients.
Exercise Regularly
People who are physically active have a much lower risk of developing many types of cancers, including liver and spleen.
For people that aren’t sure where to start, any type of exercise will get your heart rate and breathing rate up, helping to burn calories and increase your metabolism.
Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Any type of activity that gets your body moving is fine, as long as you do it regularly.
Limit Alcohol Intake
Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of developing liver and spleen cancer, as well as many other types of cancers.
Drinking even small amounts of alcohol regularly increases your risk of getting liver and spleen cancers. The risks are highest for those who drink large amounts of alcohol.
For example, people who drink more than 15 drinks per week increase their risk of getting liver and spleen cancers by about 40%. Even one drink per day can increase your risk by up to 20%.
If you’re drinking alcohol, try to limit yourself to fewer than three drinks per week. Doing so can lower your risk of liver and spleen cancers.
Get a Regular Dose of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a hormone that our bodies make when we’re exposed to sunlight. It plays an important role in regulating our immune systems, as well as in maintaining muscle and bone health.
It can also be obtained through diet, primarily through fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and albacore tuna.
In addition to these foods, vitamin D can also be synthesized by the human body when exposed to sunlight.
Unfortunately, many people aren’t getting the amount of vitamin D that they need through diet or sunlight. This is due to the fact that we often don’t get enough sun exposure during the winter months, as well as in cloudy areas.
If you’re not getting enough vitamin D, you can take vitamin D supplements. But make sure to discuss any supplement regimen with your doctor first.
Get a Bone Marrow or Cord Blood Transplant
If your doctor determines that you have no other options, a bone marrow or cord blood transplant could be an option for you.
In these procedures, your doctor takes stem cells from another part of your body and transplants them into your liver or spleen. This can effectively treat many types of cancers, including liver and spleen.
Depending on the types of cancers you have, a bone marrow transplant can be more effective than a cord blood transplant. While both are effective, bone marrow transplants are often used when the cancer is likely to spread.
Cord blood transplants, on the other hand, are often used to help treat blood disorders and autoimmune disorders.
If you have no other options, a bone marrow or cord blood transplant could be an option for you. Discuss this with your doctor first, however, as the risks of these procedures are high
Get a blood panel for hepatitis B and C
If you have hepatitis B or C, you should get tested for liver and spleen cancer regularly. These viruses are common, especially in people who share needles or work with infected people.
There is a strong connection between hepatitis B and C and liver and spleen cancers. In fact, up to 90% of people with these viruses will develop some form of cancer, including liver and spleen cancers.
Get a Regular Massage
Another thing you can do to reduce your risk of liver and spleen cancer is to get a regular massage. Massage has been proven to reduce stress and improve both your mental and physical health.
It can also help reduce your risk of cancer, including liver and spleen cancer.
A study of over 3,400 people found that those who received a massage treatment had a significantly reduced risk of developing liver and spleen cancers compared to people who received a placebo massage. What makes this even more incredible is that the placebo recipients still believed they were receiving a real massage treatment.
Get some sunshine
The key to preventing liver and spleen cancer is to get some sunshine on a regular basis. Since both of these organs are located in the abdomen, you want to make sure they get the blood flow they need to stay healthy.
There are a few ways you can achieve this. One option is to get a passive solar heating system installed in your house. This system uses the sun’s rays to heat and penetrate the earth, thereby heating your home.
You can also choose to live closer to the equator if possible, or take advantage of vacation opportunities that take you closer to the equator during the summer months. Remember to wear a hat, sunscreen and protective clothing when you’re outside, though.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you have any questions about lowering your risk of liver and spleen cancer, or want to talk to someone about your symptoms, you can always talk to your doctor.
Your doctor can perform blood tests to determine if you have liver cancer, as well as recommend healthy habits that can help prevent this disease.
Remember, liver and spleen cancers are very rare, so even if you have symptoms, you’re still very unlikely to contract this disease.
If you have liver or spleen cancer, you can also join a support group to get support and talk to others who have been through the same thing.
Once you’ve determined what you can do to lower your risk of liver and spleen cancers, you can focus on living life to the fullest.