THE VIEW – Dr. Kristi Funk spoke about Breast Cancer prevention on “THE VIEW,” TUESDAY,OCT.20, 2009 … More
Nearly 2 in 5 cancers and about half (44%) of cancer deaths among adults 30 years of age and up were tied to lifestyle factors, according to a study published in an American Cancer Society journal.
The authors examined up-to-date relative risk and cancer occurrence data from 2019 in the U.S, and estimated the proportion and number of invasive cancer cases (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers) and deaths among adults 30 years of age and older that were attributable to modifiable risk factors. Cigarette smoking was the leading risk factor contributing to cancer cases and death overall, followed by excess body weight and alcohol consumption.
These risk factors come as no surprise, but how many of us truly realize the extent to which these lifestyle choices affect our chance of developing cancer?
Take smoking, for example, which contributed to nearly 1 in 5 cancer cases and almost 1 in 3 cancer deaths in the aforementioned study. The various poisons in cigarette smoke can weaken the immune system, making it more difficult to kill cancer cells. In addition, these same poisons can damage a cell’s DNA which can allow that cell to grow out of control and cause cancer.
Cigarette smoke can cause cancer in nearly every part of the body according to the CDC, including but not limited to the lung, blood, esophagus, colon, kidney, pancreas and bladder. Even secondhand smoke can lead to cancers such as that of the lung.
What is even more striking are the profound and rapid health benefits that occur from quitting smoking. Within just five years of quitting smoking, your chance of getting cancer of the throat or mouth drops by 50%, according to the CDC. This is just one of many reasons cigarette smoke is the leading cause of preventable death in America.
What about excess body weight? Nearly 7 in 10 U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, according to the Food Research & Action Center. Excess body weight can cause cancer by stimulating growth hormones that then tell cells to divide more often, increasing the risk of cancer. In addition, immune cells naturally go to areas of the body where there is more fat, which can cause inflammation leading to cells dividing more often and possibly causing cancer over time.
Obesity is linked to a higher risk of getting 13 different types of cancer, including thyroid, breast, kidney and the colon. One can significantly reduce the risk of all these cancers by simply consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables whole grains and lean proteins, as well as reducing sugars and red meats. In addition, exercising regularly helps maintain a healthy body weight and boosts the immune system. For adults, the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week.
Alcohol consumption is another modifiable risk factor we don’t talk about enough. Alcohol has no health benefits according to the American Public Health Association and is linked to a number of cancers, including but not limited to cancers of the throat, esophagus, breast, liver and colon. Despite being inseparable from American culture, alcohol contributes to nearly 5% of cancer cases and cancer deaths in the U.S., according to the aforementioned study in the American Cancer Society journal. Over time, alcohol can damage cells and alter DNA, which can eventually lead to cancer.
While not all cancers can be prevented, nearly half of them can and it remains up to us to make the appropriate decisions to curb its incidence. None of us ever want to hear that six letter word when visiting a doctor’s office, and the good news is we can do so much to prevent ever hearing that term or worse, realizing what it feels like to have to take drugs like chemotherapy that have many unwanted side effects.
Like many things in life, we are and should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to confronting cancer head-on.