Keep these in mind: 7 cancer considerations

Did you know a mole doesn't need to be large or raised to be dangerous? How about the fact that just one alcoholic drink a day increases breast cancer risk by 10 percent? Aware of this one: Gaining more than 11 pounds after age 18 ups your risk for all types of cancer? Gain 20 pounds after age 18, ladies, and your risk of breast cancer is 40 percent higher. I wonder if pregnancy weight gain counts since I gained 50 and then 42 pounds and then got breast cancer 18 months later.

Here are four more shockers: (1) Frequent drivers are more likely to get skin cancer on the left sides of their bodies. (2) Too many imaging exams, like mammograms, are harmful to your health. (3) While breast cancer rates have dropped significantly for some populations of women, they haven't budged at all for Asian-Americans and Native Americans. (4) Living with a smoker pops your lung cancer risk up by 23 percent and spikes your breast cancer risk by 68 percent.

Ouch. These numbers numbers and facts sting a bit, don't they? Good thing we have some say in whether or not they come to haunt us. We can check out moles and take them to the dermatologist for annual screenings. We can limit our cocktails, lose weight, and wear sunscreen on our left sides. We can avoid smoking situations and urge those who live with others to take their butts outdoors. Clearly, it's up to us to take protective health action whenever possible. What will you do in light of these seven cancer considerations?