Do You Know Your Cancer IQ?
Do You Know Your Cancer IQ?
Cancer continues to be one of the world’s leading causes of death. Sometimes it can be a silent killer, while other times it can display various symptoms. 76,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Ontario and approximately 28,500 Ontarians died from cancer. Of those diagnoses, 3,250 were melanoma and 2,450 were kidney cancer. Do you know your cancer IQ?
Knowing your cancer risks and learning how to lower it can definitely help you in the long run. Whether its via prevention or intervention, by assessing your risk–you have a fighting chance!
It is a disease that has affected my family on both my mother and father’s sides. While some have fought and are in remission, others didn’t catch it on time and lost the battle.
World Cancer Day just passed on February 4th of this year. It also marks the first anniversary of My CancerIQ.ca. A website that helps you to complete cancer risk assessments, get your personalized action plans and share and discuss these plans with your families and healthcare providers. My CancerIQ can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet or desktop.
Get Assessed.
Cancer Care Ontario has introducing two new cancers to its online cancer risk assessment tool. In addition to breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer, Ontarians can go to MyCancerIQ.ca to assess their risk for kidney cancer and melanoma. At the end of each assessment, you receive a personalized risk assessment and action plan with tips and resources based on your individual risk factors.
Having a tool that is accessible is extremely benefiical. So much so that in 2015, 146,000 Ontarians used My CancerIQ to learn about how to lower their risk. Research has long shown that as many as half of cancers can be prevcented if you eliminate known risk factors.
Lower Your Risk.
I enjoy the sun as much as the next person but, in order to reduce the risk of melanoma, you have to be careful to enjoy the sun safely. Use hats and sunglasses to shield the sun, find the cool shade and most definitely try to avoid tanning equipment. Checking and examining your skin regularly and knowing what to look out for is also beneficial. Remember, the risk of melanoma can be year-long with the sun reflecting off water and sand, but ice, concrete and snow.
A great way to keep your kidneys healthy and to avoid the risk of kidney cancer, make sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight, keep your blood pressure in check and avoid smoking.
Get Informed.
For more information about the risk factors of melanoma and kidney cancer, check out MyCancerIQ.ca and find out how much you know and learn about how you can lower your risk. Life is all about learning and being informed, make sure to use this useful resource.
How much do you know about your risks?
Let me know, til then-cheers m’deres!
Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
There is a long history of cancer in my family, and I really need to check my cancer IQ. Awareness is so important to prevention.
Yes, it totally is!
Thanks for sharing this important message. It's so important to be proactive with one's health and lowering risks is something we can all do.
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Yes, so very important! My pleasure.
I should do that assessment. My mom passed away because of cancer, and while I *think* it may have to do with that whole baby powder fiasco, it's better to be safe than sorry. Better to reduce my risks now!
Yes, head over to take an assessment!
What a fantastic tool and resource. I'm not in Canada, but I clicked over to check it out a bit – definitely the sort of thing that we should all utilize!
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Definitely useful, no matter where you are.
My aunt fought and won a battle with breast cancer! We thank god that she has been cancer-free for years!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for sharing your story!
I have many friends and acquaintances who have died due to cancer. This blog post is truly helpful. Thank you!
My pleasure Miles! I am glad this helps.
Wow this is interesting. Cancer is super high in my family so it's always in my mind. I think this could be very useful.
Check it out, it is fast, easy and free.
Great information! Cancer runs in my family quite a bit so I try to control risk factors that I can.
I love the idea of this program, cancer is a deadly disease and as you said one of the highest killers of our time.
Yes, that is why knowledge is power. 🙂
This is such important information. Being able to access your risk level and make necessary changes in your life to lower your risk is plain smart.
I agree!
This is a great screening tool but nothing beats a good ole doctor's visit!!
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So very true! It can help you assess your own risk and then you can take the best action and seek professional help.
My mother is a breast cancer survivor. I loss both of my grandparents to cancer. I need to know my Cancer IQ, its not something I can just brush up under a rug.
So very true. Hope this tool helps!
I was diagnosed 10 years ago with skin cancer. Glad we caught it early.
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I am glad you caught it early. This tool can help you assess other forms too.
This is very interesting, this is a huge help for us so glad to know about this.
I am glad that it helps!
Glad it helps!
Glad it helps!
Glad to hear it!
wow this is a very interesting read. i never even thought of this. thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
Cancer is something that has become a common disease these days & the Cancer IQ sounds like a wonderful program to get a clear assessment that would help in acting based on any risks involved.
Best of all, it is free. I checked all of mine and it gives you such great info.
This is great information. So important to know your family history and know your risk.
SO very true, information is power.
Thank you for sharing this info maybe it may save a life.Cancer is so ugly it has many faces and i have seen many and hate them all.
Same here, hope it helps!
As I get older I am getting more and more concerned about these things!! Thanks for the info I will check out the site.
I had a discussion last night with my sister about this topic,so this morning i have shared your post on FB and Twitter for my family and friends.
Thanks for sharing, it is a great thing to show other people.
How awesome. I think everyone wants to lower their risk, right?
Definitely!
I have not worried too much about cancer mostly because no one in our family has had it. I do get regular physicals and if there is a problem I get it taken care of immediately. I should take this test and see what I should be concerned about.
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I think it is a great idea to get checked regularly and find out your IQ to see what you can change to prevent it. 🙂
I really need to check my cancer IQ. We all should. You don't need a family history to be vulnerable, and cancer is such a heinous beast.
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Very true, you never really know.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Cancer is a frightening, terrible, deadly thing, and we should all make sure we know our cancer IQ to protect ourselves as much as possible.
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It really is, we have had some in our family. It affects everyone.
This is a interesting post. I will have to check it out and find out what my risk is.
Definitely, it is always a good thing to do.
This is very interesting. I've lost a few from cancer, so this is a wonderful program. It's extremely important to me to make sure you get checked for cancer yearly at least.
Yes, it really is important!
Thanks for sharing this great information. I will have to check my cancer iq.
Honestly, I have no clue about my risks. Thanks for this. This is really great. I will have to check this out.
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Yeah, it is a good thing to check out. That is for sure!
My husband's family has a long history of cancer and I am worried about it for him. I will share this to him.
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Hope it helps, it is a great tool.
This is so important to know…it is so important for us to know our family history so we can be more aware of our risks.
This is a really interesting site. My mother has had a risk for cancer (skin and breast) but nothing has come of it. Thank goodness!
That is great!
One hiw interesting is this?!?! Thankfully no one in my family has had cancer. Hopefully it stays that way!!!! Such a horrible thing :-/
It really is. It is always a good idea to see your risks any way though.
My Cancer IQ seems like a great program. I just did the assessment for colorectal cancer and it gave me some suggestions for lowering my risk. Thanks for letting me know about the program.
My pleasure!
My pleasure!
What a great program, thank you for sharing