06/02/2017
We can - Prevent Cancer
Changes in the way we live means that more and more people around the world are exposed to cancer risk factors like smoking, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyles. Educating and informing individuals and communities about the links between lifestyle and cancer risk is the first step in effective cancer prevention.
Smoking is still the biggest cancer risk factor. To***co use accounts for five million deaths every year, or 22% of all cancer deaths. Reducing the rates of to***co use will significantly decrease the global burden of a large number of cancers, including of the lung, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, oesophageal, pancreas, bladder, kidney, cervix and stomach, and acute myeloid leukaemia.
Consuming alcohol is linked to an increased risk of six cancers. There is now strong evidence that consuming alcoholic drinks increases the risk of seven cancers: mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophageal, liver, breast, and pancreas.
The rising levels of obesity are of concern in many countries around the world. Overweight and obesity are strongly linked with an increased risk of bowel, breast, uterine, ovarian, pancreatic, oesophagus, kidney, and gallbladder cancers later in life. Yet, about a third of common cancers can be prevented through a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active. Specifically, the World Cancer Research Fund International estimates that for the 13 most common cancers, about 31% of cases in the United States are preventable through a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. The estimates for other countries are 32% for the UK, 25% for Brazil and 24% for China.
Equipping individuals and communities with the latest knowledge of the links between lifestyle and cancer can empower people to adopt healthy choices. Individuals and communities need to be informed that more than a third of cancers are preventable through adopting healthy behaviours.
Dr Niranjan Rathod
