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eWellness: Lifestyle can prevent 50% of common cancers

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Dr KK Aggarwal    05 December 2019

More than 50% of cancers could be prevented if people simply change lifestyles according to Graham Colditz, PD, DrPH, from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Among the "biggest buys" from lifestyle intervention is smoking cessation. One-third of cancer in high-income countries is caused by smoking.

Being overweight or obese causes approximately 20% of cancers. If people could maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI), the incidence of cancer could be reduced by approximately 50% in 2 to 20 years.

Poor diet and lack of exercise are each associated with about 5% of all cancers. Improvement in diet could reduce cancer incidence by 50% and increases in physical activity could reduce cancer incidence by as much as 85% in 5 to 20 years.

Eradicating the main viruses associated with cancer worldwide by implementing widespread infant and childhood immunization programs targeting 3 viruses — human papillomavirus and hepatitis B and C — could lead to a 100% reduction in viral-related cancer incidence in 20 to 40 years.

Tamoxifen reduces the rate of both invasive and noninvasive breast cancer by 50% or more, compared with placebo, at 5 years.

Raloxifene has been shown to reduce the risk for invasive breast cancer by about 50% at 5 years.

Bilateral oophorectomy in women carrying the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, although rare, has been associated with a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk among high-risk women.

Aspirin is associated with a 40% reduction in mortality from colon cancer.

Screening for colorectal cancer has a similar magnitude of mortality reduction (30% to 40%).

Tobacco, alcohol, and diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity — accounted for more than half of all cancers.

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