Proactive, preventative living means creating a daily lifestyle that minimizes your cancer risk and maximizes your health. Although there is no one cause of cancer and some factors, such as genetic history, may be beyond your control, there are many ways in which your lifestyle has an impact on your health. The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that 30-40 percent of all cancers in the United States could be prevented through simple changes in eating and an increase in exercise. Eliminating tobacco would raise that figure to 60-70 percent. Having regular screening tests and medical check-ups by a doctor are also key in living a long life. Eating well, exercising regularly, not smoking, and having regular physical exams by a doctor are all proactive steps you can take towards living a longer, healthier life.