RSS feedThe World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and its sister organization, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in their recent report titled ‘Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention’ stated that approximately one third of common adult cancers in the US may be preventable. (This is not including those which can be prevented by not smoking.) The WCRF and AICR estimated that eating a nutritious diet, being physically active and keeping body fat under control may prevent:
- 38% of breast cancers
- 45% of colorectal cancers
- 36% of lung cancers
- 39% of pancreatic cancers
- 47% of stomach cancers
- 69% of esophageal cancers
- 63% of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, or larynx
- 70% of endometrial cancers
- 24% of kidney cancers
- 21% of gallbladder cancers
- 15% of liver cancers
- 11% of prostate cancers
According to the report, diet, physical activity and limited body fat could prevent 34% of these 12 cancers overall and 24% of all cancers.
A study from the Karolinska Institute followed 45,920 Swedish male conscripts from the period 1969 - 70 for 38 years and examined the effects of overweight in adolescence on subsequent adult mortality (BMJ 2009; 338: b496). Compared with normal weight [body mass index (BMI) 18.5 – 24.9 kg/sq.m] men, the mortality risk in overweight (BMI 25 – 29.9) and obese (BMI ≥ 30) men was increased by 33% and 114%, respectively. The risk was not increased in underweight men, but in those who were extremely underweight, BMI < 17, the risk of mortality was increased by 33%. The risk of mortality in light (1 – 10 cigarettes / day) and heavy (> 10 / day) smokers was also increased by 54% and 111%, respectively, when compared to non-smokers. (Since the start of this study the number of overweight adolescent men in Sweden has tripled and the number of those who are obese has increased 5 fold. Fortunately, the number of smokers has halved.)
Another study looked at the effects of alcohol consumption on the incidence of cancer risk in 1,280,296 women involved in The Million Women Study (J Natl Cancer Inst 2009; 101: 296 – 305). They attended breast cancer screening clinics in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2001. The average follow-up time was 7.2 years. The 5 categories of alcohol intake were 0 (24%), up to 2 (29%), 3 – 6 (23%), 7 to 14 (19%) and at least 15 (5%) drinks of 10 g of alcohol (= 1 unit) / week. Increasing alcohol intake was associated with an increased risk of specific cancers. The excess cancer incidence of these cancers, up to 75 years of age, with 10 g increase in daily alcohol intake were:
- Oral cavity and pharynx – 1 per 1000
- Oesophagus – 0.7 per 1000
- Larynx – 0.7 per 1000
- Rectum – 1 per 1000
- Liver – 0.7 per 1000
- Breast – 11 per 1000
To put it another way, the researchers estimated that the background incidence of cancers among women in developed countries was 118 cancers diagnosed per 1000 women up to the age of 75 years. Drinking 1 unit per day increased this by an extra 15 cancers per 1000 women and 2 drinks a day increased this an extra 30 cancers per 1000 women; the majority of the cancers would be breast cancer.
Most cancers are not inherited. For the small proportion of inherited cancers, your cancer risk is not within your control. For most of us, how you lead your life can impact on your cancer risk. Leading a healthy lifestyle does not reduce your cancer risk to zero; it does however reduce your odds of developing cancer. Do not think that regular health checks will save you from cancers. You hope that the checks will help you detect the cancer at an earlier stage, and that is no guarantee either. A healthy lifestyle has no downside. Embracing it might just save your life!
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