{"id":23495,"date":"2025-02-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=23495"},"modified":"2025-02-07T13:56:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T18:56:34","slug":"national-cancer-prevention-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/national-cancer-prevention-month\/","title":{"rendered":"National Cancer Prevention Month: 3 Tips for Preventing Mesothelioma"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>February is National Cancer Prevention Month, which is a time to choose healthy habits to reduce your risk of mesothelioma and other cancers and spread awareness about cancer-causing substances.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-shortcode\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.callout-shortcode{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0;padding:20px 20px 20px 24px;margin:40px 0;max-width:860px;position:relative}.callout-shortcode:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #EDF8F9 100%)}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{color:#100134;font-size:22px;display:block;margin:0 0 15px}.callout-shortcode:first-child{margin-top:0}.callout-shortcode:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:20px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding-top:17px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:74px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{left:22px;position:absolute;top:20px;width:59px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background:#fff url(\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mh-icon-65.png);background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:70%;border-radius:30px;bottom:-10px;content:\"\";display:block;height:30px;position:absolute;right:-10px;width:30px}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.callout-shortcode{padding:25px 25px 25px 34px}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{font-size:24px}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode.has-img{min-height:170px;padding-left:175px}.callout-shortcode.has-img .img-wrap{position:absolute;left:29px;top:25px;width:119px}.callout-shortcode.hope.has-img{padding-left:170px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding:0}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{width:109px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background-size:66%;bottom:-15px;height:42px;width:42px}}<\/style><div class=\"content\"><p>Cancer prevention efforts have helped reduce cancer deaths in the U.S. by 33%, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/mesothelioma\/\">Mesothelioma<\/a> is a rare and aggressive cancer that can affect the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles. Its only cause is exposure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/asbestos\/\">asbestos<\/a>, a toxic mineral used heavily throughout the 20th century.<\/p>\n<p>See the top 3 ways you can join the efforts this month to help prevent mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Avoid Asbestos Exposure<\/h2>\n<p>Even asbestos fiber can cause serious damage to the body and increase the risk of mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<p>If your home or workplace was built before the early 1980s, it likely contains asbestos products. To be safe, you should take precautions and report any damage if you see it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You can protect yourself from asbestos exposure by:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Consulting with professionals to identify and remove asbestos-based materials<\/li>\n<li>Not touching or disturbing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/products\/\">asbestos-containing products<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wearing masks or respirators if your job requires you to work around asbestos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Learn more about the products that commonly contained asbestos and what steps you can take to protect yourself in our <strong>Free Asbestos Products Guide<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Be Proactive About Your Health<\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, not everyone knew they were being exposed to asbestos or that the products they worked with could cause cancers like mesothelioma decades later.<\/p>\n<p>For these reasons, it\u2019s important to be proactive about your health if you worked in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/occupations\/\">high-risk occupation<\/a> like shipbuilding, construction, or firefighting. Veterans should also be mindful of their health since asbestos was heavily used in the U.S. military prior to the early 1980s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tips on how to prevent mesothelioma after asbestos exposure:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be open with your doctor:<\/strong> Let them know you may have been exposed to asbestos so they can monitor you for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/mesothelioma\/symptoms\/\">symptoms of mesothelioma<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get routine cancer screenings:<\/strong> Regular physical exams and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/mesothelioma\/diagnosis\/imaging-scans\/\">imaging scans<\/a> can detect changes in your health so you can receive a mesothelioma diagnosis early. An early diagnosis can help you get more effective treatment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stop smoking:<\/strong> While cigarette smoking is not a cause of mesothelioma, it can worsen the damage caused by asbestos and put you at risk of other conditions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/cancer\/lung-cancer\/\">lung cancer<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There&#8217;s no way to remove asbestos fibers from the body after exposure. However, these tips can help you catch the cancer before it spreads and improve your odds of becoming a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/mesothelioma\/prognosis\/survivors\/\">mesothelioma survivor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Advocate for a Total Asbestos Ban<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially banned chrysotile asbestos \u2014 the last remaining type in use \u2014 in March 2024.<\/p>\n<p>However, some industries have been granted a gradual phase-out period, and the ban doesn&#8217;t cover legacy asbestos, leaving many still at risk of exposure.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) continues to advocate for <strong>a total ban on asbestos in all forms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>You can support the ADAO\u2019s efforts by:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/actionnetwork.org\/letters\/banasbestos\">Contacting your Congressperson<\/a> to support the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, a bill that calls for a complete ban on asbestos<\/li>\n<li>Sharing information on social media about the dangers of asbestos and how some workers and <a href=\"\/veterans\/\">military veterans<\/a> are at an increased risk of mesothelioma<\/li>\n<li>Signing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/p\/u-s-environmental-protection-agency-ban-asbestos-in-the-us-now-without-loopholes-or-exemptions\">petition to ban asbestos with no loopholes or exceptions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These small actions can make real change and prevent mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers in future generations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"blockquote-w-image \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/dr-raja-flores.png\" alt=\"\" \/><blockquote><p>&#8220;If Congress can pass this ban on asbestos, that will save more lives than I ever can.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer>&ndash;<cite> <strong>Dr. Raja Flores, mesothelioma specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital<\/strong><\/cite><\/footer><\/blockquote><style type=\"text\/css\">.blockquote-w-image{position:relative;margin:40px auto}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{background:none;border-left:none;padding:25px;margin-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote p{margin-bottom:0}.blockquote-w-image img{width:100px;border:none;border-radius:100%;box-shadow:none;position:relative;margin:0 auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative{margin:60px auto}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding:25px 25px 25px 80px;padding-bottom:25px;background-color:#E4F4F6}.blockquote-w-image.alternative img{position:absolute;left:20px;top:25px;z-index:1;width:50px;border:1px solid #fff;box-shadow:0 0 10px rgba(34,34,34,0.2);border-radius:100%}.blockquote-w-image.with-border{background:none;border-left:4px solid #0FAEBF}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote{background:none;border-radius:0;padding:10px 25px}.blockquote-w-image.with-border blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit}.blockquote-w-image blockquote:before{display:none}@media screen and (min-width: 769px){.blockquote-w-image img{position:absolute;left:0;top:0}.blockquote-w-image blockquote{padding:0 25px 0 125px;min-height:90px}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote{padding-left:105px}.blockquote-w-image.alternative blockquote footer cite{font-size:16px}.entry-content .blockquote-w-image.alternative img{width:60px;left:25px}}<\/style><\/div>\n<h2>Get Help After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you do not have to take this journey alone.<\/p>\n<p>The Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma Hope are dedicated to helping those affected by this cancer get the medical guidance, financial assistance, and supportive care they need and deserve.<\/p>\n<p>Call us at<strong> <a href=\"tel:+18666088933\" title=\"Click to call (866) 608-8933\" class=\"in-content-tel-link\" data-ce-category=\"Click to Call\" data-ce-label=\"(866) 608-8933\">(866) 608-8933<\/a><\/strong> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/about\/contact\/\">fill out our contact form<\/a> to see how we can assist you today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>February is National Cancer Prevention Month, which is a time to choose healthy habits to reduce your risk of mesothelioma and other cancers and spread awareness about cancer-causing substances. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that can affect the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles. Its only cause is exposure to asbestos,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":23494,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[269],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awareness-advocacy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}