A Cancer Prevention Framework
A close friend of mine was just diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s early, and small, so the prognosis is excellent, and I am grateful for that. Has someone in your life been touched by cancer? If not, that would be quite unusual.
According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 people around the world will develop a type of cancer in their lifetime.
Wow. That’s a LOT. This likely means someone in your close family, one or more of your friends, and one or more of your colleagues will be touched by cancer.
I could go off on a rant about how things got this way (perhaps the subject of another post ;), but here I want to provide a simple framework for prevention that goes beyond providing a laundry list thing to do and not do:
Minimize harmful exposures
Strengthen the immune system
Get regular testing.
Minimize Harmful Exposures
This is where it gets tricky—because we can’t live in a bubble. But we can take small, powerful steps to reduce our exposure to known carcinogens.
Pay attention to what goes on and in your body: This means choosing personal care and cleaning products with fewer endocrine-disrupting chemicals (like parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance), drinking filtered water, and being mindful of plastics—especially when heating food.
Be thoughtful about your environment: Air pollution, pesticides, and even new furniture off-gassing flame retardants can all contribute to toxic load. Ventilation, air purifiers, houseplants, and buying used (already-off-gassed) items can help.
Rethink convenience: Fast food, ultra-processed snacks, and microwaveable meals often come wrapped in endocrine-disrupting packaging and laden with additives. Whole foods may take a little more prep, but they dramatically reduce exposure.
Small changes really do add up. You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight—just pick one swap at a time.
Strengthen the Immune System
The body has several ways it fights off foreign invaders, and your immune system is your frontline defense. When it’s working well, it can detect and destroy cells that are beginning to go rogue before they multiply.
So what supports immune strength? It’s not just about popping vitamin C (although that doesn’t hurt). It’s about cultivating the conditions for your immune system to thrive. That means:
Nourishing your body with real food—plenty of colorful vegetables, clean proteins, healthy fats, and fiber to support gut health (which is deeply tied to immune health).
Getting enough sleep—sleep is when your body repairs, detoxifies, and regulates inflammation. Chronic sleep deprivation, on the other hand, suppresses immunity.
Managing stress—easier said than done, I know. But long-term stress elevates cortisol, which weakens immune function. Breathwork, time in nature, movement, meditation, and connection with others all help.
Moving your body regularly—not for punishment, but to get lymph circulating, increase blood flow, and keep your cells energized.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about consistency. Every time you feed your body well, prioritize rest, or take a moment to breathe deeply, you are strengthening your inner army.
Get Regular Testing
This part is often overlooked in prevention conversations, but knowledge is power.
Routine screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies, and pap smears can catch abnormalities early—when they're most treatable.
Functional medicine testing can go deeper, identifying inflammation, heavy metal burden, oxidative stress, and detox capacity—before anything becomes diagnosable.
Know your family history. If cancer runs in your family, you may benefit from more frequent testing or targeted genetic screening (like BRCA or MTHFR). But remember, genetics are just a blueprint; how you live your life will determine how the genes express themselves.
This is not about living in fear. It’s about being proactive.
At the end of the day, cancer prevention isn’t a checklist. It’s a lifestyle. One that values your health as a non-negotiable, and your body as something worth protecting, supporting, and listening to.
You don’t have to do it all at once. Start with awareness. Start with one change. And know that every single step you take toward reducing your body’s burden and strengthening your resilience is a step toward a healthier future—not just for you, but for the people who love you.
Ready to make some moves on reducing your toxin exposure? Then join me for the pilot program of Home Detox Lab, a 5-week program to guide you through systematically minimizing or removing the toxins in your life. There’s a special price for the pilot program, so sign-up for the waitlist here.
That’s all for now.
To your best health!
Andy
