If you spend hours in the gym, obsess over your protein intake, and dodge microplastics like they’re landmines, chances are you’ve at least thought about cancer. Maybe it’s not something you stress about every day, but it lingers in the back of your mind. We all want to stack the odds in our favor. The problem? The internet is a minefield of half-truths, miracle diets, and flat-out BS. One headline swears fasting will starve cancer cells, the next promises broccoli is the cure, and another says it all comes down to genetics. Who the hell do you believe?
Instead of spiraling down Reddit rabbit holes, we tapped someone who can help cut through the noise. Dr. Amar Rewari, M.D., a leading radiation oncologist, breaks down the real, science-backed habits that can help guys cut their cancer risk. No gimmicks, no scare tactics, just simple steps you can actually work into your daily routine.
Related: Could Your Daily Diet Help Starve Cancer? Here’s What a Leading Researcher Says
4 Habits That Lower Your Risk of Cancer
“Your genes are the blueprint, but your lifestyle writes the script,” Dr. Rewari says. “About 40 percent of cancers in the United States are linked to modifiable factors—things like diet, weight, activity, alcohol, smoking, and infections.”
Avoid Smoking and Nicotine
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know smoking is bad for you. Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which are known carcinogens. Beyond weakening your immune system and damaging your DNA, the CDC reports that cigarette smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke, causes nearly nine out of 10 lung-cancer deaths. Smokers also have a 25-times higher risk of developing lung cancer compared with non-smokers.
“Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of cancer,” says Dr. Rewari. “But even trending products like dip, snus, or nicotine pouches aren’t harmless. They may expose
you to fewer carcinogens than cigarettes, but they’re addictive, not risk-free, and—despite
being popular among a new generation—they’re linked to cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and pancreas.”
Move Daily
If you actually want to live longer and healthier, exercise isn’t optional—it’s essential. It keeps your hormones in check, fights fat gain, and, according to the American Cancer Society, lowers your risk for several cancers, including breast, prostate, colon, and endometrial. On the flip side, sitting around all day is a slow path to a higher risk of death, cancer-related or otherwise. Move more, sit less, and you’re stacking the odds in your favor.
Use Sunscreen
“Skin cancer is the most common cancer in men,” Dr. Rewari says. “And both mineral and chemical sunscreens work when used consistently.” Research shows that regular sunscreen use can dramatically lower your risk of developing skin cancer, particularly the more dangerous invasive types like melanoma. People who make sunscreen a consistent part of their routine experience far fewer cases compared with those who apply it only occasionally. Dr. Rewari recommends incorporating a daily broad-spectrum SPF 30+ into your routine.
Manage Your Stress
One thing most people don’t talk about is stress management and its connection to cancer. Worrying yourself sick isn’t just a saying—it’s real. While many guys roll their eyes at the thought of “taking a deep breath,” Dr. Rewari emphasizes that lowering stress is a major factor in reducing disease risk.
“Chronic stress drives cortisol and inflammation that suppress immunity and can prime cancer biology,” he says. “Simple stress-buster habits like mindfulness, deep breathing, journaling, NSDR (non-sleep deep rest), or a 10-minute walk in nature can help turn that pattern around.”
