"Just following these ten simple tips can help save thousands of lives," said Oppenheimer, director of CSUN's Center for Cancer and Developmental Biology.

His suggested resolutions:

• Stop smoking. "Smoking is the number one cause of cancer death in the United States," he said.

• Check your house for radon. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive natural gas that accumulates in homes. Oppenheimer said inexpensive radon detectors are widely available in hardware stores.

  "If the level of radon in your home is 4 picocuries per liter of air or higher (a measure of radioactivity), there are many licensed companies that will reduce it to acceptable levels," he said, adding that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified radon as one of the most deadly naturally occurring health hazards of all time.

• Reduce exposure to the sun by using sunscreens with a 30 or greater spf (sun protection factor) rating.

  "The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight causes skin cancer and premature aging of the skin," Oppenheimer said. "Overexposure to the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer in the U.S."

• Have a physician check any new unusual moles or a mole that has changed on your body. "Malignant melanoma strikes young and old and is the most dangerous form of skin cancer," he said.

• Anyone 50 years or older should get a colonoscopy at five-to-ten-year intervals. Oppenheimer said a colonoscopy detects precancerous polyps and early cancer signs many years before they become life threatening. "This procedure is very under-utilized and can save hundreds of thousands of lives," he said.

• Have a mammogram. A mammogram can identify breast cancers that are too small to be felt by hand. The survival rate for small, early breast cancers is a much greater than for larger ones, Oppenheimer said.

• Have a PAP smear if you are a woman. "The PAP smear saves thousands of lives from cervical cancer and should be a regular part of a woman's physical exam," he said.

• Get a digital rectal exam if you are a man. This test, which is used to detect enlarged prostate glands, coupled with the prostate specific antigen test, could help detect early prostate cancers that are more easily treated than those that are advanced, Oppenheimer said.

• If you or a relative has cancer and would like more information about leading specialists in your area, call 1-800-4-CANCER. "This is a National Cancer Institute hotline and is a superb resource for all questions about cancer treatment," Oppenheimer said.

• Finally, Oppenheimer said, the key to beating cancer and cancer death is to recognize changes in your body.

  "Do not hesitate to have these changes checked by your physician," he said. "Catching cancer early is the key to a successful outcome."