Studies published by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) have suggested that more than a third of cancer diagnoses in the United Kingdom could be prevented by quitting smoking, weight loss and proper protection from the sun. The leading causes of preventable cancer in the UK are smoking, excess weight and over-exposure to ultra-violet radiation. The three leading causes of cancer account for at least 135,000 diagnoses in Britain every year which the CRUK says can be avoided.
Smoking is still the biggest preventable cause of cancer, but prevention efforts are working. Find out more: https://t.co/gucBD1SZHJ pic.twitter.com/nrfB4DcEFR
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) March 23, 2018
Blog post: New calculations confirm lifestyle changes could prevent 4 in 10 cancer cases: https://t.co/gucBD1SZHJ
— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) March 23, 2018
"We took data from national surveys showing how common each risk factor is in the population, and data from the UK cancer registries showing how many cases of each cancer type there are. Then we searched published research for information on how much each risk factor increases cancer risk, using only gold standard epidemiology research," says Dr Katrina Brown who led the research in a statement coinciding with the publication of the research.
Researchers note that in many cases, incidences of cancer come down to a person's genetic profile and family history which determines their susceptibility to various cancers as they age.
