There are some easy steps Americans can do in order to prevent cancer: avoid smoking, whether it be actual smoking or secondhand smoke, limit alcohol intake, exercise for cancer prevention, be sure to keep up to regular screening tests. These tests can detect cellular changes before they become cancerous.

Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. This unhealthy habit increases the risk of many other cancers in women, including breast, oral, pharynx, larynx, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, uterine, and cervical cancers.

A recent report released by the American Cancer Society, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US national Cancer Institute and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries reveals that death rates from lung cancer have leveled off among women since 2003 most probably because more and more women quit smoking. Studies have shown that smoking bans on public places are powerful weapons against diseases associated with smoking. The report found regional differences in lung cancer rates that appeared to be associated with local legislation, like smoking bans, and social attitudes toward tobacco and smoking.

The researchers noted an interesting phenomenon: state tobacco control policies appear to have an influence on the number of cancer related deaths. For example, the report found lung cancer death rates among women increased in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, the Carolinas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, South Dakota and Tennessee. One thing that all these states have in common is the fact that tobacco taxes are lower than average, the researchers noted.