There is new evidence that avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and dangerous obesity is good for your health. New research shows that these are the leading preventable causes of cancer in adults.
An American Cancer Society study released this week Accounts for an estimated 40% of new cancer cases and 44% of cancer deaths Cancer may be preventable in people over 30 if they stop high-risk behaviors such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Experts say the study provides further evidence that public health leaders should encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their cancer risk, and also provides enough evidence that people should take action to prevent cancer.
The American Cancer Society study looked at cancer cases and deaths that could have been prevented by behavioral or dietary changes that reduced the risk of cancer-causing infections, or by getting vaccinated against HPV and Hepatitis B.
Behaviors that increase the risk of cancer include smoking, exposure to passive smoking, alcohol consumption, and being overweight. Excessive consumption of red and processed meat, and lack of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and calcium also increase the chances of developing cancer. The study also cited infections such as hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, human papillomavirus, and Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus as risk factors for cancer.
Experts not involved in the population-level study said this was an important warning for public health officials and policy makers to adopt policies that encourage healthier behaviours.
Ernest Hawk, M.D., vice president and chief of the Department of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the study findings “present a tremendous opportunity for our country – indeed all nations – to reduce cancer incidence and mortality by taking a proactive stance that prioritizes prevention at the individual and societal levels.”
Hawk said the goal of such studies is not to blame individuals for smoking, drinking alcohol or other high-risk behaviors, but rather to inform and educate them.
“It’s hard to make lifestyle changes quickly or consistently over time,” Hawke said. The goal is to help point people “to actions and policies that will help make that choice easier.”
The study estimated that “potentially modifiable risk factors” were responsible for 40% of the approximately 1.8 million cancer cases that occurred in adults aged 30 and over in 2019. Thirty types of cancer were examined, and non-melanoma skin cancer was excluded.
Research shows that preventable causes of cancer include:
Smoking is the biggest risk factor, accounting for 19.3% of cases.
Excess weight was a risk factor in 7.6% of cases.
Alcohol consumption was associated with 5.4% of cases.
UV rays were responsible for 4.6% of cases.
Lung cancer had the highest number of cases associated with preventable risk factors the researchers evaluated. The study found 104,410 preventable cases of lung cancer in men and 97,250 preventable cases in women. The next most common preventable cancers were cutaneous melanoma with 50,570 cases and colorectal cancer with 44,310 cases.
“Despite significant declines in smoking rates over the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to smoking in the United States remains alarming,” said Farad Islami, senior scientific director for Cancer Disparities Research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study.
Islami added that the study shows the need for tobacco control policies in all states to encourage people to quit smoking, and also mentioned the need for early detection of lung cancer.
American Cancer Society officials also stressed the importance of vaccines against hepatitis B, which can cause liver cancer, and human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, genital, oral and pharyngeal cancer.
Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society Cancer numbers in the U.S. projected to exceed 2 million But the report noted that deaths have been falling over the past 30 years due to falling smoking rates, earlier detection and improved treatment.
