by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 24/97) - Almost two out of three cancers are preventable.

With that in mind, a series of workshops organized by the Canadian Cancer Society kicked off recently.

"This will provide people with information that will help them decrease their risk of cancer," said nurse Nazira Kassam, of the Alberta division of the Canadian Cancer Society.

The free seminars -- a first for Yellowknife -- addressed issues such as stress management, nutrition, smoking cessation and breast health.

Kassam said that the No. 1 way to become healthier is to stop smoking.

"We're not winning the battle against lung cancer" she said. "Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer for women. It used to be breast cancer."

She said that lung cancer is difficult to detect and to treat. Its survival rate after five years is less than five per cent.

The statistics are startling, particularly because the use of chewing tobacco and snuff is on the rise. There are 620,000 new cases of lung cancer in Canada every year.

Kassam said there are divorce cases going on right now in B.C. where people are using the effects of smoke on the children against their spouses.

The second-best way to become healthier is to eat a balanced diet -- one that's low in fat and high in fibre.

Research indicates that 35 per cent of cancers are a result of what we eat, said Kassam.

The third step to a healthier lifestyle is regular medical and dental checkups so that problems can be detected early.

"Be assertive with your doctor and seek a second opinion if you have to," said Kassam.

Fourth is for women to have monthly breast self-examinations.

The fifth way to get healthy is to protect against too much sunlight by using sunblock with a blocking factor of SPF 15 or more, a hat, and avoiding suntan salons.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer found in Canada.

The sixth step is to avoid cancer-producing substances at home, at work and in the community. For example, people are recommended to use caution when using oven cleaner.

Similarly, the seventh step is to follow health and safety instructions when using hazardous material.