Nearly Half of All Cancer Cases Worldwide are Preventable
A new study by an international research team reports that almost half of all cancer deaths globally can be traced to avoidable factors like smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity.
The report, published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, analysed data from about 10 million people who died from 23 different types of cancer in 2019. External risk factors, like those mentioned above, were involved in 4.45 million deaths, or more than 44%.
The researchers also found that men are at a significantly higher risk of dying from cancer due to external risk factors, accounting for more than half of all male cancer-related deaths (50.6%). In contrast, these risks affected women in just over a third of cases (36.3%). Smoking continued to be the leading risk factor for cancer globally. The research team highlighted differences between two main categories of risk factors: behavioural (unhealthy diet, smoking, and the like) and environmental and occupation risks, including exposure to carcinogenic substances in certain occupations.
David T. Youssef, Managing Director of VUMI Global Services for the Middle East, Africa and Asia comments, “This study should have far-reaching implications for global health. With this conclusive evidence, habits must be changed so people can live longer, healthier lives.”
Source: The Miami Herald, August 23, 2022
The article does not provide medica/ advice. lt is intended for general informational/ educational purposes only. lt is not a substitute for professional medica/ advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always ask your doctors or hea/thcare professionals for medica/ advice.
