Cancer Prevention Month focuses on risk awareness

CHATTTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and health experts say understanding your personal risk is one of the most powerful tools you have when it comes to protecting your health.

While only about 10 percent of cancers are hereditary, doctors explain that knowing whether you fall into that category can be life changing.

Even if genetic testing feels intimidating, medical professionals say the information can help patients take control rather than live in uncertainty.

“It’s the ability to be proactive and to be on the preventative side of things,” said McKenzie Smartt, a nurse practitioner with Erlanger. “To know what we need to be looking for and when we need to be looking for it. We focus so heavily on these modifiable lifestyle factors to really help reduce your overall risk.”

Smartt expands on the importance of prevention, explaining that small, consistent lifestyle choices can significantly impact long term health.

Regular screenings, balanced nutrition, exercise, and avoiding tobacco are all examples of steps people can take to lower their risk.

At the same time, she stresses that cancer is complex.

No one factor alone determines a diagnosis, and she emphasizes that patients should never blame themselves.

Knowing your risk, she explains, is not about fear.

It is about empowerment.

Health experts say education, early detection, and proactive care remain some of the strongest defenses against cancer.

As National Cancer Prevention Month continues, doctors encourage everyone to have conversations with their healthcare providers, understand their family history, and take steps today that could protect their tomorrow.