Nearly half of adult cancer deaths in the US could be prevented by making lifestyle changes, study finds | CNN
There’s new evidence highlighting the health benefits of avoiding smoking, excessive drinking, and being dangerously overweight. These behaviors are the leading preventable causes of cancer in adults, according to a recent study by the American Cancer Society.
The study, published this week, estimates that 40% of new cancer cases and 44% of cancer deaths in people aged 30 and over could be avoided by eliminating high-risk behaviors such as smoking and drinking. This research provides fresh evidence for public health leaders to encourage healthy lifestyles to reduce cancer risk and ample evidence that individuals should take proactive steps to prevent it.
Key Findings from the Study
The American Cancer Society’s study examined cancer cases and deaths that could have been prevented through behavior and diet changes or vaccines for HPV and hepatitis B, which reduce the risk of cancer-causing infections. Key behaviors that can raise cancer risk include smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, alcohol consumption, and being overweight. Diets high in red or processed meat and low in fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber, or calcium also increase cancer risk. The study also cited cancer risk from infections like hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, human papillomavirus, and Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus.
Experts not involved in the study emphasized its importance as a reminder for public health agencies and policymakers to adopt strategies that encourage healthy behaviors. Ernest Hawk, vice president and head of cancer prevention and population sciences at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, noted the study’s potential to significantly reduce cancer incidence and mortality by prioritizing prevention at both personal and societal levels.
Hawk clarified that the study aims not to shame individuals who engage in high-risk behaviors but to inform and educate. “It’s hard to change one’s lifestyle immediately or consistently over time,” Hawk said. The goal is to help orient people “toward helpful behaviors and helpful policies that can assist them in making that choice easier.”
In 2019, the study estimated that 40% of the nearly 1.8 million cancers in adults aged 30 and older were attributable to “potentially modifiable risk factors.” It examined 30 types of cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.
Breakdown of Preventable Cancer Causes
The study found that cigarette smoking was the top risk factor, accounting for 19.3% of cases. Excess body weight was a risk factor in 7.6% of cases, while alcohol consumption was linked to 5.4% of cases. Ultraviolet radiation caused 4.6% of cases.
Lung cancer had the highest number of cases tied to preventable risk factors, with the study identifying 104,410 preventable lung cancers in men and 97,250 in women. Other common preventable cancers included 50,570 cases of skin melanoma and 44,310 colorectal cancers.
“Despite considerable declines in smoking prevalence over the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in the United States is alarming,” said Farad Islami, the American Cancer Society’s senior scientific director of cancer disparity research and the study’s lead author. Islami emphasized the need for robust tobacco control policies in every state to encourage quitting smoking and for early detection of lung cancer.
American Cancer Society officials also stressed the importance of vaccines for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV). Hepatitis B causes liver cancer, while HPV can lead to multiple types of cancer, including cervical, anal, genital, and cancers of the mouth and throat.
Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society projected that U.S. cancer cases would surpass 2 million for the first time. However, the report noted that lower smoking rates, earlier detection, and improved treatments have contributed to declining death rates over the past three decades.
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