Healthy lifestyle could cut 84,000 cases of cancer

Losing weight, exercising and cutting down on alcohol is the secret to avoiding cancer

SIMPLE lifestyle changes could slash the number of cancer cases in Britain by tens of thousands every year, according to research.

 

A study has shown 84,000 people a year could avoid the killer disease if they lost weight, exercised regularly and cut down on alcohol.

The World Cancer Research Fund said a third of the most common cancers could be averted. But the number of cases is increasing.

The findings revealed that 38 per cent of breast cancer cases – 20,300 a year – could be avoided if women led healthier lives.

And experts said small adjustments could prevent 19,800 cases of bowel cancer, 2,200 of kidney cancer and 1,400 of pancreatic cancer.

In men, nine per cent of advanced prostate cancers could be prevented if victims were not overweight.

In 2013, 351,578 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Britain. This was up from almost 340,000 in 2012.

As a result, the number of cases that could have been prevented also rose from 81,000 to 84,000.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for almost one in three new cases.

 

In men, prostate cancer is the most common at 26 per cent.

The Research Fund’s Dr Rachel Thompson said: “There is no doubt simple changes to diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference.

Even minor adjustments such as 10 to 15 minutes of extra physical activity a day, cutting down on alcohol or limiting high-calorie food and sugary drinks will decrease the risk

The Research Fund’s Dr Rachel Thompson

“Even minor adjustments such as 10 to 15 minutes of extra physical activity a day, cutting down on alcohol or limiting high-calorie food and sugary drinks will decrease the risk.”

Fund director Amanda McLean added: “Prevention must be part of the solution to the epidemic. We are kidding ourselves if we think we can treat our way out of the problem.”

Professor Kevin Fenton of Public Health England said yesterday: “The harsh reality is that we are behind on survival rates in comparison to our European counterparts.

“A major factor is that prevention is not in the public consciousness.

“The link between tobacco and cancer is widely known but many are not yet fully convinced that healthy eating, regular exercise and not drinking alcohol can lower your risk.”

Dr Richard Roope, of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs do not want to be killjoys but we need to work together to support patients over lifestyle choices.

“Cancer is thought of as being a lottery but we have more control over our health than we think.”