Nearly half of US adult cancer deaths could be prevented by lifestyle changes, study finds
IFILE-Images of alcoholic drinks on a table. (Photo by PYMCA/Avalon/Getty Images)
A recent study reveals that cancer deaths could be prevented by making certain changes to your lifestyle.
The American Cancer Society’s report finds that roughly 40% of cancer cases for adults 30 years and older in the U.S., and nearly half of deaths may be connected to preventable risk factors.
Risk factors identified in the study include smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, eating red and processed meat, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
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Results of the study determined that smoking was the leading risk factor in cancer cases contributing to nearly 1 in 5 cancer cases and almost a third of cancer deaths.
Excess body weight was the second largest contributor to cancer cases, connected to roughly 5% of new cases in men and almost 11% of cases in women, followed by alcohol consumption (4.7% cases in men and 6.2% cases in women), dietary factors, UV radiation exposure, and physical inactivity.
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Researchers used cancer data from 2019 and analyzed 18 modifiable risk factors across 30 types of cancer. In 2019, these lifestyle factors were linked to over 700,000 new cancer cases and more than 260,000 deaths.
The team concluded that their report suggests that having a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity, can help mitigate an individual's cancer risk.
This story was reported from Washington, D.C.