In this article you will learn how to prevent cancer. You may be surprised to learn that cholesterol may help to prevent cancer, based on a groundbreaking study from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. In addition, you will learn more scientific facts about cancer prevention.

First of all, cancer prevention is quite different from so-called preventive measures such as getting colonoscopies, pap smears and mammograms. These procedures may detect cancer, but do not prevent cancer. To prevent cancer, you need to get in the driver seat and take charge of your health.

Our body is built like a rock, but our lifestyle keeps hammering at it until it starts to break down prematurely.

How Does Cancer Develop?

Cancer does not develop overnight. It takes a while. Cancer evolution starts with one cell which becomes abnormal and has an unrestricted growth pattern. Gradually, cancerous cells take over and deplete the number of normal cells.

It is a well-established medical fact that our immune system is well-equipped to detect any cancer cells and kill them in the trenches. But why do people develop cancer? Because we weaken our immune system through our lifestyle.

Cholesterol May Prevent Cancer

One of the mechanisms of how our body detects cancer cells is through dendritic cells. What are dendritic cells? These are a type of immune cells. Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York showed that dendritic cells utilize cholesterol to mature and function properly in the detection of cancer cells. This study was published in Nature in 2025 and highlights the role of cholesterol in preventing cancer.

Unfortunately, there is so much negativity towards cholesterol as if it is a toxic substance in our body.

You may be surprised to learn that cholesterol is a natural substance in our body. Not only do we get cholesterol from food, our body also synthesizes cholesterol for itself. It must be important for the body, right? As it turns out, cholesterol is essential for the normal functioning of every cell.

Functions Of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential for the normal functioning of our body. Some of its well-known functions include:

• Synthesis and integrity of cell membranes, which include heart, brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, kidneys, and all other organs in the body.
• Formation of vitamin D, which itself is essential for the normal functioning of every organ in our body.
• Formation of hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and aldosterone. All these hormones are important to keep us alive and healthy.
• Formation of bile acids which play a crucial role in the digestion of food, especially fat.
• Regulation of Immune Cells.

What Causes Cancer?

You can prevent cancer only if you know what causes cancer. There is myth that we don’t know what causes cancer – not true! We know a lot about what causes cancer and how to prevent it. Low cholesterol is not the only factor that may lead to cancer formation. Other known factors that may cause cancer formation include:

• Stress
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Processed food, preservatives, insecticides, pesticides
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Sleep deprivation
• EMF (Electromagnetic fields). Sources include power lines, microwave appliances, cell phones, and wireless internet.
• Medications
• Constipation, especially for Colon cancer
• Cigarette smoking and inhaling other toxic substances, especially for lung cancer

Chemicals And Medications Known To Cause Cancer

Here is a list of Chemicals And Medications known to be human carcinogens according to “National Toxicology Program 15th Report on Carcinogens” Medications are highlighted in red.

• Aflatoxins
• Alcoholic beverage consumption
• 4-Aminobiphenyl
• Analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin
• Aristolochic acids
• Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
• Asbestos
• Azathioprine
• Benzene
• Benzidine
• Beryllium and beryllium compounds
• Bis(chloromethyl) ether and technical-grade chloromethyl methyl ether
• 1,3-Butadiene
• 1,4-Butanediol dimethylsulfonate (also known as busulfan)
• Cadmium and cadmium compounds
• Chlorambucil
• 1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (MeCCNU)
• Chromium hexavalent compounds
• Coal tar pitches
• Coal tars
• Coke oven emissions
• Cyclophosphamide
• Cyclosporin A
• Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
• Dyes metabolized to benzidine
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• Erionite
• Estrogens, steroidal
• Ethylene oxide
• Formaldehyde
• Helicobacter pylori (chronic infection)
• Hepatitis B virus
• Hepatitis C virus
• Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
• Human papilloma viruses (HPVs): some genital-mucosal types
• Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)
• Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) (also known as human herpesvirus 8, or HHV-8)
• Melphalan
• Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV)
• Methoxsalen with ultraviolet A therapy (PUVA)
• Mineral oils (untreated and mildly treated)
• Mustard gas
• 2-Naphthylamine
• Neutrons
• Nickel compounds
• Radon
• Silica, crystalline (respirable size)
• Solar radiation
• Soots
• Strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid
• Sunlamps or sunbeds, exposure to
• Tamoxifen
• 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD); “dioxin”
• Thiotepa
• Thorium dioxide
• Tobacco smoke, environmental
• Tobacco, smokeless
• Tobacco smoking
• o‑Toluidine
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, broad spectrum
• Vinyl chloride
• Wood dust
• X-radiation and gamma radiation

Drugs Containing Cancer-forming Chemicals

In recent years, the FDA found a number of drugs that contained more than accepted levels of Nitrosamines, a chemical that can increase risk for cancer. Several drugs have been recalled due to excess amount of Nitrosamines. These drugs are Quinapril, Losartan, Valsartan, Metformin, Zantac, and Chantix.

NOTE:

Do not stop taking your medication.  The FDA advises that you check in with your doctor or pharmacist. Ask if your medication is affected by the recall; if so, ask if you should switch to another drug.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs – JAK Inhibitors – May Increase Cancer risk

Certain Rheumatoid Arthritis drugs known as JAK-inhibitors may increase risk of cancer. In addition, these drugs may increase risk of serious heart-related events, blood clots, and death. These drugs are Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR, Olumiant, and Rinvoq.

How to Prevent Cancer

You can prevent cancer if you decide to take charge of your health instead of leaving it entirely to your doctor. Realize that colonoscopies, pap smears , mammograms, and other diagnostic procedures may diagnose cancer, but these procedures do not prevent cancer. If you are serious about preventing cancer, get in the driver seat, obtain scientific information about what causes cancer and start to make changes. It all boils down to changing your life style.

In Summary:

Prevention of cancer is possible only if you decide to take charge of your health. Do not confuse early detection of cancer (through colonoscopies, Pap smears, and mammograms) with cancer prevention. There are well known risk factors for cancer. Only you can prevent cancer by changing your lifestyle and questioning (with common sense) any medical information you receive.