Cancer is caused by damage to our DNA that has built up over time – and some lifestyle choices, like drinking alcohol, can increase the chances of this happening.
A new global study has found almost half (44%) of cancer deaths can be linked to preventable risk factors, such as drinking and smoking.
In fact, the study found 2.8 million deaths from cancer could be linked to preventable risk factors among men, and 1.58 million deaths in women.
Such risk factors appear to be playing a greater role in cancer deaths, as between 2010 and 2019, there was a 20% increase in deaths attributable to preventable causes.
So what are some of the risk factors that increase a person’s risk of cancer?
The study, which is “the largest effort to date” to determine the global burden of cancer attributable to preventable risk factors, found the leading risk factors in 2019 for men and women were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI.
In deprived areas, this altered slightly, with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer.
The findings echo Cancer Research UK’s advice, that smoking, low levels of physical activity, alcohol, diet, overweightness and obesity, and infections, account for a high proportion of cancers worldwide, as they do in the UK.
The latest study found the leading cancers linked to preventable risk factors globally in 2019, for both men and women, was tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer.
This was followed by colon and rectum cancer, oesophageal cancer, and stomach cancer in men; and cervical cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and breast cancer in females.
More than 19 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2020 worldwide, and 10 million people died of cancer. By 2040, that burden is expected to increase to around 30 million new cancer cases annually and 16 million deaths from cancer, according to the Global Cancer Observatory.
In a separate editorial, researchers point out there are important risk factors for cancer that are not mentioned in the first study, particularly infectious agents and UV exposure.
“The global burden of cancers attributable to infectious disease is substantial and growing,” write researchers.
“In 2018, more than 2 million new cancer cases – around 10% of all new cancers globally – were attributable to infections, including Helicobacter pylori, viral hepatitis, and the human papillomavirus (HPV), with this burden distributed unevenly across global regions.”
That said they agree that lots of cancer deaths could be preventable and point out that behaviours associated with higher cancer risk are often influenced by poverty.
“Poverty influences the environments in which people live, and those environments shape the lifestyle decisions that people are able to make,” they said.
“Action to prevent cancer requires concerted effort within and outside the health sector. This action includes specific policies focused on reducing exposure to cancer-causing risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, and access to vaccinations that prevent cancer-causing infections, including hepatitis B and HPV.”
Lifestyle changes that could help lower cancer risk
Stopping or cutting down on smoking
Reducing how much alcohol you drink – or cutting it out altogether
Avoiding high fat, high salt diets and opting to eat more fruit and vegetables, wholegrain foods high in fibre and healthy proteins. Cut down on processed and red meat, too
Practising safe sex to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases
Opting for the HPV jab, if you’re eligible
Exercising regularly
Taking care to keep out of the sun when it’s at its strongest – and taking extra care to protect your skin by spending time in the shade, covering up with clothing, and using sunscreen.