Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming and change your world in an instant.

March is National Nutrition Month and National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

A cancer diagnosis is a difficult one to receive, and it is quickly followed by the need to make some big decisions. Possibly the most significant one is which treatments to opt for.

In an age where preventive health care has become a priority for many, early detection of potential health concerns -- especially cancer -- can significantly influence the success of treatment and long-term outcomes.

Ackerman Cancer Center offers radiation oncology, proton therapy, diagnostics and cancer treatment in a private practice setting in Jacksonville, Florida.

Not only does a prostate cancer diagnosis bring uncertainty about the future, but it also presents the challenging task of deciding on the best treatment approach.

Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers that affects women globally.

While the number of prostate cancers diagnosed each year declined sharply from 2007 to 2014, since then, the incidence rate has grown 3% per year overall and 5% per year for advanced-stage prostate cancer.

Just like other cancers, there’s a ton of unknowns but early detection is key to beating it.

A different kind of fasting is the Fasting Mimicking Diet, or FMD, as the experts at Ackerman Cancer Center said. One in eight women in America will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, the numbers from the American Cancer Society show. And just last month, Nature Communications published research from a randomized phase 2 trial that analyzed the impact of FMD in breast cancer patients under chemotherapy. Researchers found that FMD can sensitize breast cancer cells to chemotherapy both at the clinical and pathological levels. “Instead, fasting deprives proliferating cancer cells of nutrients, growth and other factors, which renders them more sensitive to cancer therapy and increases cell death."

The short answer: All breast imaging tests are less than perfect, each breast imaging exam provides different information, and all breast imaging studies are complimentary. Upsides: Mammograms are the cornerstone, first-line screening tool for early breast cancer detection because they are a quick, cost-efficient way to get a global view of how the breast tissues are organized, and assess for any changes related to early breast cancer. Downsides: Mammograms are less sensitive in the detection of early breast cancer if a woman has dense breast tissue. Upsides: Breast MRI is the single-most sensitive and specific breast imaging test available for the detection of early breast cancer. By leveraging the strengths of multiple breast imaging modalities, breast imaging physicians provide patients with the most accurate evaluation possible to rule out the presence of early, curable breast cancer.

Local oncologist Dr. Scott Ackerman with Ackerman Cancer Center discusses the signs of cancer and what you can do to minimize your risks. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

VIDEO: Local oncologist Dr. Scott Ackerman with Ackerman Cancer Center discusses the signs of cancer and what you can do to minimize your risks.