Lifestyle Changes

The choices you make every day can make a big difference.  Lifestyle factors that can affect your gastrointestinal cancer risk include: 

• Nutrition:  Eating mostly foods that are high in fat and low in fiber increases your risk.
• Physical Activity:  Living a sedentary (inactive) life is linked to several gastrointestinal cancers.
• Weight:  Obesity increases your risk of developing several gastrointestinal cancers, including colon cancer, rectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. 
• Smoking:  Tobacco is a proven carcinogen (cancer-causing substances) that is associated with many gastrointestinal cancers.
• Alcohol:  Drinking too much alcohol increases your overall risk, especially for liver cancer.