Cancer Research UK: New study
Over forty percent of cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, according to a new study. But it’s not all about the cigarettes and alcohol: the Cancer Research UK report found that obesity and lack of fruit and vegetables are also key factors.
“Looking at all the evidence, it’s clear that around 40 per cent of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change,” said Professor Max Parkin, one of the study’s authors. So what do you need to avoid?
Smoking. Time to stub it out: the study found that smoking tops the table of cancer causes, with lighting up responsible for almost one in five cancers. And the stats don’t just refer to lung cancer. According to the study, smoking is responsible for a wide range of cancers, such as bladder and cervical.
Read the full Cancer Research UK report here.
Alcohol. Yes, Christmas may be coming, but perhaps it’s time to put the wine glass down. The demon drink apparently causes seven different types of cancer, and is responsible for 6.4 percent of breast cancers.
Being overweight and not breastfeeding, if you’re female. The study found that obesity causes more cancer cases than alcohol in women. And in news designed to thrill the child-free, Cancer Research UK also said that not breastfeeding contributes to breast and ovarian cancers.
Not eating fruit, if you’re a man. Lack of fruit and vegetables causes 6.1 percent of male cancers, according to the report.
Red meat. Steak is off the menu: eating red meat causes almost 8.500 cancer cases, or 2.7 percent.
