Reducing Disease Risk on National Cancer Prevention Month

As part of honoring National Cancer Prevention Month in February, RadOnc on the Run host Brandon Mancini, MD, MBA, FACRO, spoke with Jenni Beamer about a broad range of topics dedicated to proactively treating patients who are at risk of developing cancer.

Beamer, senior executive director for the state of Michigan at the American Cancer Society (ACS), emphasized the importance of having a designated month to educate the public regarding lifestyle choices, regular screenings, and other modifiable risk factors that may influence the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis. Regarding specific campaigns focused on cancer prevention, she brought attention to ACS CancerRisk360, a free digital tool that provides a comprehensive cancer risk evaluation based on key areas such as genetic risk, family history, screening adherence, and daily life factors.

Mancini highlighted how the challenges surrounding cancer prevention have evolved as environmental and exposure-related risk factors have transformed over time. For example, although rates of smoking—a common risk factor for lung cancer—have decreased, vaping has appeared to pick up, which may cause long-term complications in terms of cancer risk. Beamer and colleagues stay up to date on strategies for managing these modifiable risk factors via national roundtables, which also cover areas such as breast cancer screening and human papillomavirus vaccination.

“Just yesterday, we reported out a 27% decline in cervical cancer incidence rates that are directly related to the implementation of the vaccine. That just gives me chills to know,” Beamer stated. “That’s why my 3 kids have that cancer vaccine. Progress is happening, and it’s in the stories of the everyday people who want to make a difference. I’m so motivated and proud of everyone’s collective energy and work around this.”

Mancini is director at Bold Advanced Medical Future Health, clinical associate professor in the Department of Radiology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, and editor at large for RadOnc Review, a supplement of the journal ONCOLOGY^®.

Reference

Declines in cervical cancer incidence in U.S. varied substantially by state, aligning with HPV vaccination rates, new ACS study finds. News release. American Cancer Society. February 23, 2026. Accessed February 25, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/57rykdvk