Q. While cancer strikes both men and women, are there any factors that increase a woman's risk more than a man's risk of cancer?

A. Well, sun exposure affects both men and women's risk of skin cancer, but if a woman is inclined to sit in the sun and tan, her risk for malignant [skin cancer] is high. Additionally, the data clearly shows that women need to watch their alcohol consumption. There is a relationship between high alcohol intake and head and neck cancer, as well as cancer of the liver, but even moderate alcohol intake raises the risk of breast cancer, which, of course, is a much greater concern for women.

Q.What overall advice do you have for women who say they are too busy to think about their own health?

A. Women are famous for taking care of everyone but themselves; they take care of their husbands, their children. But women need to put themselves first and take care of their own health needs to ensure the health of their entire family.