The less alcohol you consume, the lower your risk of cancer. Heavy consumption of alcohol is linked to cancers of the oesophageal, oral cavity, nasopharyngeal, liver, colorectal and breast cancer. Hence, alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for cancer which can be prevented.

Alcohol consumption can also lead to other long-term health problems such a liver failure and heart disease. Try cutting down your alcohol consumption, either by drinking in smaller amounts or having more drink-free days.

Take our Cancer Risk Quiz and find out how to reduce your cancer risk.

Individuals who are overweight or obese have an elevated cancer risk compared to those with normal weight. This is because excess body fat may increase inflammation in the body and promote growth of cells and blood vessels through fluctuating levels of hormones and factors.

Losing excess body weight is a good start to reduce your cancer risk. It is reassuring to know that even a small amount of weight loss has many health benefits. Maintaining a healthy weight by making healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of cancer.

According to The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) report, 25% of all cancer cases worldwide are contributed by obesity and physical inactivity.

Keeping active is key to maintaining a healthy weight. It is recommended to engage in 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. It is always better to move more than less, so try to keep moving as much as possible! Moderate or vigorous exercises include brisk walking, swimming, cycling or yoga.

The majority of skin cancers are caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, either through exposure to the sun or UV radiation from man-made sources. These radiation wavelengths are strong enough to damage DNAs and cause cancer.

Sunlight is the primary source of UV radiation. There are 3 forms of UV radiation:

• UVA rays: UVA rays have the lowest energy of all the UV rays. While UVA rays are linked to long-term skin damage and ageing such as wrinkles, they can also contribute to some skin cancers via indirect DNA damage. Approximately 95% of UV rays that reach the ground are UVA rays.
• UVB rays: Compared to UVA rays, UVB rays have slightly more energy. Approximately 5% of UV rays that reach the ground are UVB rays.
• UVC rays: Compared to other forms of UV rays, UVC rays have the most energy. Since sunlight's UVC rays do not reach the earth, they rarely provide a risk for developing cancer. However, other sources, such as mercury lamps or UV sanitising bulbs can also produce UVC rays.

Protecting your skin from ultraviolet rays from the sun lowers your risk of skin cancer. When heading out during the day, protect yourself from excessive UV exposure by staying in the shade, covering your skin with clothing, wearing a hat, and using sunscreen regularly. Whenever possible, avoid going out when the UV rays are at its strongest, usually between 10am to 4pm.