Liver Cancer Pervention

How to Reduce Your Risk of Liver Cancer

Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine for You and Your Children. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all children in the United States and is required for school entry. If you are an adult, take a look over your medical records to ensure you were properly immunized as a child. If you don't have access to those records, talk with your physician about how the vaccine may benefit you as an adult. Ensure your children receive the vaccine at recommended ages. Hepatitis B infection is a major risk factor for liver cancer development.

Practice Safe Sex. By having unprotected sex, you can contract many diseases, including hepatitis C. Being infected with hepatitis B or C is one of the major risk factors for liver cancer.

Don't Share Needles. Shared tattoo and illegal drug needles are a source of infection of not only HIV, but also hepatitis C. If you get a tattoo, make sure the tattoo artist uses new needles. It is a nationwide law, but it never hurts to double-check. If you are an IV drug user, never share needles.

Quit Smoking. If you are smoker, now is never a better time to quit. Smoking not only has been linked to liver cancer, it has also been connected with many other types of cancers and diseases as well.