Nearly half of all cancer deaths can be prevented through simple lifestyle changes. A recent study published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians highlights that four in 10 cancer cases are preventable.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society found that nearly half of all cancer deaths among US adults aged 30 and older result from controllable risk factors such as cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and excessive drinking.
Dr. Farhad Islami, senior scientific director of cancer disparity research at the American Cancer Society explained that cigarette smoking stands out as the leading contributor to cancer. Despite a decline in smoking rates, lung cancer deaths in the United States remain alarmingly high due to smoking.
The study analyzed data on cancer diagnosis rates, cancer deaths, and risk factors, estimating the number of cases and deaths caused by modifiable risk factors. It examined 30 different cancer types and assessed risk factors.
Key findings indicate that cigarette smoking accounts for 19.3% of new cancer diagnoses and is responsible for 56% of potentially preventable cancers in men and 39.9% in women. Obesity is the second most influential modifiable risk factor, accounting for 7.6% of new cancer cases, followed by alcohol consumption, UV radiation exposure, and physical inactivity.
Interventions to maintain a healthy body weight and diet can significantly reduce cancer cases and deaths, explains Dr. Islami. Modifiable risk factors contribute to 100% of cervical cancer and Kaposi sarcoma cases and play a role in over 50% of new diagnoses for 19 of the 30 cancers studied. Most melanomas of the skin and cancers of the anus, larynx, lungs, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, and oral cavity are also attributable to these risk factors. Lung cancers account for the largest number of cases related to modifiable risk factors in both men and women.
The study emphasizes the need to educate the public that most cancers are preventable. Priority should be given to clinics and healthcare sites providing fair access to treatments, such as smoking cessation sessions or vaccinations for various cancer forms.