National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month: Tips to Lower Your Risk

April is National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of early cancer detection and helping lower the cancer death rate. Many people aren’t up to date on their routine cancer screenings, and by spreading information about how they can help spot cancer early, we can improve both survival rates and quality of life.

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month is an April observance that helps raise awareness of cancer screening and its benefits.

Read on to learn more about this annual observance, including when you should get cancer screenings and various ways to lower your risk of developing cancer.

Key Takeaways

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month is observed in April and is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of cancer screening.
At least 70% of Americans in 2024 weren’t up to date on cancer screenings, and about 43% weren’t aware they had any screenings at all.
Regular cancer screenings can help with early detection, which can lower costs and increase survival rates.
Roughly 40% of cancer cases are associated with elevated risk factors in adults over 30.
Maintaining an active lifestyle, following a healthy diet and avoiding unnecessary risk factors can help reduce the odds of developing cancer.

What Is National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month?

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month is held every April and aims to highlight the benefits of early detection through routine cancer screenings. This observance began in 2022 as a project by then-President Biden to reduce cancer deaths by 50% within 25 years, culminating in National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month as an official observance in 2024.^[1]

As of 2024, about 70% of people weren’t up to date on cancer screenings, and roughly 43% weren’t even aware they had routine screenings at all. At the same time, despite the risk of death from cancer declining over the last 30 years, the rates of developing several common cancers have been increasing. By promoting regular screenings, which can catch cancer early when it's most treatable, we can reduce the risk of both developing cancer and its mortality rate.^[1][2]

What Are the Biggest Risk Factors for Cancer?

Some risk factors for developing cancer are more impactful than others, such as smoking. Below is a list of some of the biggest risk factors for developing cancer:^[3]

Smoking, including secondhand smoke exposure
Having excess body weight
Drinking alcohol
A diet low in fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber and dietary calcium
Low physical activity
Eating red and processed meat
UV radiation exposure
HPV infection

Is Cancer Preventable?

You can’t completely stop cancers from developing, but certain activities can significantly reduce your risk of getting cancer.^[4] Limiting or removing elevated risk factors from your life can help prevent cancers from forming. For example, a significant number of cancers are connected to having elevated risk factors, many of which you can remove from your life to improve cancer prevention and lower your risk of dying from cancer.^[2]

40% of cancer cases in U.S. adults over 30 are attributed to elevated risk factors
44% of cancer deaths in U.S. adults over 30 are attributed to elevated risk factors

Are There Ways To Prevent Cancer?

Several lifestyle changes or proactive health choices can help reduce the risk of developing various cancers. Some ways to help influence cancer risk include:^[2]

Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke: Cigarette smoke is the largest preventable risk factor for cancer, attributing to 20% of all cancer cases and 30% of all cancer deaths. Even if you’re a lifelong smoker, quitting smoking for five to 10 years can reduce your risk of developing cancer by about 50%, while remaining smoke-free for 20 years can reduce your risk to close to that of a non-smoker.
Maintain a healthy body weight and stay active: Carrying excess body weight is attributed to 7.6% of cancer cases, making it the second largest risk factor for developing cancer. Similarly, a sedentary lifestyle is attributed to 3.1% of cancer cases. Ensuring you get regular exercise can help not only maintain a healthy weight but also regulate your hormones and support your immune function, all of which lower the risk of cancer.
Reduce alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol contributes to 5.4% of all cancer cases. While lowering your alcohol consumption reduces risk, abstaining from drinking alcohol is the best way to reduce the risk of cancer.
Improve your diet: Not eating enough fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber, and calcium could increase your risk of developing cancer. Similarly, a diet high in processed foods and red meat may also raise your risk. By simply increasing the amount of healthy foods you eat and lowering your intake of processed foods, you can help lower your risk of cancer, without needing to completely change your diet.
Limit ultraviolet (UV) exposure: While regular sun exposure is good for the body, the UV radiation it produces accounts for 4.6% of otherwise preventable cancer cases. Even UV rays from tanning beds or sunlight through clouds can provide the same level of exposure. By avoiding unnecessary UV radiation through sunscreen, protective clothing, and staying in the shade, you can help lower your risk of UV-related cancers.
Get vaccinated and screened for cancer: Several viruses, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B, can cause cancer, so staying up to date on vaccinations can significantly reduce the associated risk. For example, the HPV vaccine can help prevent more than 90% of cancers caused by the virus.^[5]

Regular cancer screenings can also help catch cancer early when it’s most treatable or prevent it from developing entirely.

Recommended Cancer Screenings by Age

You should generally start getting cancer screenings between the ages of 21 and 45, depending on your gender, the cancer being tested and whether you’re at high risk, such as smokers being at high risk for lung cancer. Below is the recommended age at which you should get various cancer screenings for both those with a normal risk and those at higher risk of developing each:^[6]

	Screening Test	Age Range for Normal Risk	Age Range for High Risk
Colorectal Cancer Screening	Colonoscopy	45-75 years old	40-75 years old
Breast Cancer Screening (Women Only)	Mammogram	40-74 years old	Before 40 years old
Cervical Cancer Screening (Women Only)	Pap test	21-65 years old	21-65 years old
Lung Cancer Screening	Low-dose CT scan	No age range	50-80 years old
Prostate Cancer Screening (Men Only)	Possible PSA blood test	45-75 years old	40-75 years old

Cancer Risk Factors You Can and Can't Control

Not all risks for cancer can be controlled, and it's important to factor in what you can and can’t account for when it comes to cancer prevention. Risks that you can and can’t control can include:^[7]

Cancer Risks You Can Control	Cancer Risks You Can’t Control
Drinking alcohol	Age
Poor diet	Family history
Sedentary lifestyle	Genetics
Excess body weight	Gender
Smoking (including secondhand smoke)	Ethnicity
Avoiding certain vaccines	Hormonal changes
Avoidable exposure to harmful environments	Unavoidable exposure to harmful environments
Missing routine cancer screenings	Chronic infection or a weakened immune system

What Foods Help Prevent Cancer?

Several different types of nutritious foods can help lower your risk of developing cancer. Some of these food choices include:^[8]

Fruits and vegetables: Including berries, broccoli, cauliflower, grapes, oranges, spinach and tomatoes. You can incorporate these and other fruits and vegetables into your diet, whether they’re fresh, frozen or canned, for health benefits.
Lean animal or plant-based protein: Including fish, lean chicken and turkey, tofu, lentils and eggs or egg substitutes.
Dairy products that are low in saturated fat: Such as skim milk, low-fat cheese and dairy alternatives like nut milks or soy-based foods.
Whole-grain foods: Such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa and whole-grain pastas and breads.
Vegetable oils: When used in place of butter, lard or cooking sprays.
Drinks without added sugar: Such as green tea, coffee and water.

Why Early Detection Saves Lives

Early detection is one of the best ways to save lives from cancer, as it helps you spot and remove cancers before they’ve had a chance to spread to other parts of the body. For example, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer diagnosed at stage 1 is 99%, but those diagnosed at stage 4 are less than 32%.^[9]

Early detection can also significantly reduce cancer treatment costs. Cancer patients who are diagnosed early can often get treatments that are two to four times less expensive compared to treatments for advanced cancer stages. Similarly, since early-stage treatments are often less invasive and disruptive, you can continue working and supporting your family while being treated, reducing the risk of financial burden and being unable to afford treatment.^[10]

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month at a Glance

A quick recap of everything you need to know about National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month:

Observed in April, National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month is a time to advocate for getting routine cancer screenings to catch the disease early and improve survival rates.
Depending on your risk factors, you should start getting screened for common cancers between the ages of 21 and 45.
The most common risk factor for cancer is smoking, including inhaling secondhand smoke.
Improving your lifestyle by staying active, eating healthy foods, staying up to date on vaccinations and avoiding unnecessary UV exposure can all help reduce your risk of cancer.
Early detection of cancer often leads to a higher survival rate and lower treatment costs.

How To Participate in National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month

You can participate in National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month by helping spread awareness about the benefits of cancer screenings with friends and family. By discussing various cancer screenings as routine appointments with a doctor, you can help normalize regular screenings and improve early detection rates.

You should also review your own scheduled screenings and ensure you’ve been keeping up. Talk to your doctor about risk factors that may increase your risk of developing certain cancers, and see whether you may need more frequent screenings or to get tested earlier than those with normal risk factors.

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FAQs

What is cancer prevention?

Cancer prevention is the intentional effort to reduce your risk of developing various cancers, including the decisions to stay physically active, avoid cancer-causing substances and maintain a healthy diet.^[2]

What does early detection mean for cancer?

Early detection for cancer means having the disease spotted before it has spread to other parts of the body, when the cancer is most easily treatable. For example, those with breast cancer detected and treated at stage 1 have a survival rate of 99%.^[9]

What are the early warning signs of cancer?

Early warning signs of cancer can include unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue that doesn’t go away with rest, fevers that mostly occur at night, pain that doesn’t go away and signs of irregular moles or jaundice on your skin.^[11]

Does family history of cancer increase my risk?

Yes, you may have a higher risk of developing certain cancers if you have a family history with them, including breast, ovarian, uterine and colorectal cancers.^[12] However, most cancer cases are not genetically inherited, and are more likely to occur based on shared risk behaviors, such as smoking, poor eating habits or a sedentary lifestyle.^[13]

Can exercise reduce the risk of cancer?

Yes, regular exercise can help reduce the risk of various common cancers, including breast, colon, kidney and lung cancers.^[14]

What are the biggest risks for cancer?

The biggest risk factors for various cancers among adults ages 30 and over include smoking cigarettes, having excess body weight, alcohol consumption, exposure to UV radiation and being physically inactive.^[3]

When should I start cancer screenings?

You should start getting cancer screenings between the ages of 21 and 45, depending on your gender and the cancer being tested. For example, women should get a cervical cancer test as early as 21, whereas men with a normal risk for prostate cancer should start screenings as early as 45.^[6]

Can cancer be prevented completely?

There are no cancers that can be prevented completely. However, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active and making good lifestyle choices can help reduce your risk of developing certain cancers.^[4]

Sources

Preventive Diagnostic Center. “April Is National Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Month.” Accessed March 26, 2026.
Cancer Research Institute. “Cancer Prevention – Small Choices, Big Impact.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
Cancer.org. “More than 4 in 10 Cancers and Cancer Deaths Linked to Modifiable Risk Factors.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
The University of Kansas Cancer Center. “Preventable Cancers.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HPV Vaccination.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
HealthPartners. “Cancer Screening Tests: When, Why and How.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
Summa Health. “Understanding Cancer Prevention: Controllable and Uncontrollable Risk Factors.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “36 Foods That Can Help Lower Your Cancer Risk.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
Breast Cancer Research Foundation. “Breast Cancer Stages and What They Mean.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
World Health Organization. “Early Cancer Diagnosis Saves Lives, Cuts Treatment Costs.” Accessed March 25, 2026.
John Hopkins Medicine. “Early Cancer Warning Signs: 5 Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Family Health History and Cancer.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “Three Things to Know About Your Family History and Cancer Risk.” Accessed March 24, 2026.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Physical Activity and Cancer.” Accessed March 24, 2026.

National Cancer Prevention Month: Why Early Detection Is Important

Preston Micalizio

Richard Murphy

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