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Among adults age 30 and older in the United States, 40 percent of new cancer cases — and nearly half of all deaths — can be attributed to preventable risks, according to a new report. Research From the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer of the American Cancer Society, said, “These are things that people can practically change how they live every day to reduce their risk of cancer.”
Smoking is by far the leading risk factor, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 cancer cases and nearly a third of cancer deaths, according to the study. Other key risk factors include being overweight, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, diet and infections such as HPV.
In total, researchers analyzed 18 modifiable risk factors for 30 types of cancer. In the year In 2019, these lifestyle habits were linked to more than 700,000 new cancer cases and more than 262,000 deaths, the study found.
Cancer develops because of DNA damage or because it has a fuel source, Kamal said. Other factors – such as genetics or environmental factors – can cause these biological conditions, but modifiable risk factors explain more cancer cases and deaths than other known factors. Exposure to sunlight can damage DNA and lead to skin cancer, for example, fat cells produce hormones that can feed certain cancers.
“With cancer, you often feel like you have no control,” says Kamal. “People think about bad luck or bad genetics, but people need to feel a sense of control and agency.”
Some cancers are more preventable than others, new research suggests. But modifiable risk factors contributed to more than half of new cases in 19 of the 30 cancer types assessed.
There were 10 types of cancer that could change, including more than 90% of melanoma cases linked to UV radiation and at least 80% of new cases of cervical cancer linked to HPV infection. By vaccination.
Lung cancer accounts for the largest number of modifiable risk factors — more than 104,000 among men and 97,000 among women — and most are related to smoking.
After smoking, excess body weight is the second largest contributor to cancer cases, accounting for about 5% of new cases in men and 11% in women. It is linked to more than a third of all deaths from endometrial, gallbladder, esophageal, liver and kidney cancer, the new study found.
Another recent one Research People taking popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have a significantly reduced risk of certain cancers.
“Obesity is on the rise,” said Dr. Marcus Plessia, chief medical officer of state and territory health authorities. He was not involved in the new study, but has experience working on cancer prevention initiatives.
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Intervening on a set of “major behavioral risk factors” — smoking cessation, good diet and exercise, for example — “can make a big difference in the rates and outcomes of chronic diseases,” Plessia said. Cancer is one of the chronic diseases like heart disease or diabetes.
Policymakers and health officials “must work to create an environment where it's easier for people to make healthy choices,” he said. And it's especially important for people who have historically struggled to exercise, or who live in areas where it's not easy to get to the grocery store with healthy food.
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As rates Early cancer Getting up in the U.S. is especially important to establish healthy habits early, experts say. Losing weight after you start smoking or gain weight is very difficult.
But “it's never too late to make these changes,” Plessia said. “Changing[health behaviors]in later life can make a big difference.”
And making lifestyle changes to lower your risk for certain factors can lower your cancer risk relatively quickly, experts say.
“When your cancer cells are dividing, that's what your body is fighting every day,” Kamal said. “It's a risk you face every day, and that means reducing that risk can benefit you every day.”