Which of the following is the best example of primary prevention in cancer risk reduction?

• A. Mammography screening
• B. Sunscreen education
• C. Colonoscopy
• D. Self-breast exam

Answer: (B)

Primary prevention means stopping cancer from developing in the first place by reducing or removing risk factors before any disease appears. Sunscreen education fits this idea because it lowers UV exposure, a major cause of skin cancers, thereby decreasing the likelihood that cancer will ever develop.

The other options are about detecting cancer early in people who don’t have symptoms. Screening tests like mammography or colonoscopy aim to find cancers sooner so they can be treated more effectively, but they do not prevent cancer from forming. Self-breast exams also serve as an early-detection tool. So they represent secondary (and sometimes tertiary) prevention rather than primary prevention.