CANCER
PREVENTION
T
here are certain risk factors that influence whether a person will develop cancer. Some risk factors for cancer we cannot change, and we call these non-modifiable risk factors. These include our family history of cancer or growing older. However, there are also risk factors we can change (modifiable risk factors) to reduce our risk of cancer. There are many modifiable risk factors that all cancers have in common. More than 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented by avoiding key risk factors123, including: •
tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke
•
unhealthy diet, with low fruit and vegetable intake
•
lack of physical activity
•
being overweight or obese
•
alcohol use
•
sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) infection (cervical cancer)
Tobacco use is the biggest risk factor for developing cancer, responsible for 22 percent of cancer cases worldwide.124 Cigarette smoking causes almost all lung cancer cases, including about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80 percent in women. Men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers and women who smoke are about 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer. While we often link smoking with lung cancer, using tobacco or exposure to tobacco smoke also increases the risk of a number of other cancers including leukemia and cancers of the: • voice box (larynx), • mouth & throat • esophagus • bladder
• kidney • pancreas • cervix • stomach
A lack of physical activity has been linked to 21-27 percent of all breast and colon cancers worldwide.125 The good news is we can reduce our risk by increasing our level of physical activity.126 This will have the added benefit of helping you to achieve a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.