Nearly half of all US adult cancer deaths could be prevented: Study

Jul 12

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor), Heath Cary (Senior Motion Designer)

Every year 1.8 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. and roughly 600,000 people die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Now, a new study shows nearly half of cancer-related deaths could be avoided.

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The American Cancer Society (ACS) looked at national data to figure out how many cancer cases and deaths could be linked to potentially modifiable risk factors. Those factors include things like smoking and secondhand smoke, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity, UV radiation and infection with viruses known to cause cancer like HPV.

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Published today @CACancerJournal: Updated info on % & no. of cancer cases/deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors in the US.
~40% of cancer cases and half of cancer deaths were attributable to evaluated risk factors. @AmericanCancer https://t.co/P1IzMFirPx pic.twitter.com/W3bxf4flmc
— Farhad Islami, MD PhD (@FarhadIslami) July 11, 2024

ACS found about 40% of new cancer cases among adults 30 and older could be attributed to at least one of these risk factors. Additionally, nearly half (44%) of all deaths resulted from a risk factor.

Smoking cigarettes was the biggest risk factor. That habit contributed to nearly 1 in 5 cases of cancer and a third of cancer-related deaths. Excess body weight was the second biggest culprit, contributing to 7.6% of cancer cases and 7.3% of deaths.

Preventable cancers include lung cancer in addition to skin melanomas, and cervical, anus, colorectal and bladder cancers.

The study also found certain types of cancer are more likely to be caused by modifiable risk factors. Ninety-nine percent of lung cancer cases were linked to smoking or secondhand smoke. Additionally, 100% of cervical cancer cases were linked to viral infection. HPV, which can be avoided by getting a vaccine, was the most commonly detected virus.

Tags: Alcohol, Cancer, Death, Fitness, Health, Smoking, Weight Loss

[KARAH RUCKER]

EVERY YEAR – 1 POINT 8 MILLION NEW CASES OF CANCER ARE DIAGNOSED IN THE U-S… AND ROUGHLY 600-THOUSAND DIE FROM THE DISEASE, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY.

NOW, A NEW STUDY SHOWS NEARLY HALF OF CANCER-RELATED DEATHS… COULD BE AVOIDED.

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY LOOKED AT NATIONAL DATA TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY CANCER CASES AND DEATHS COULD BE LINKED TO POTENTIALLY MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS.

THOSE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE SMOKING AND SECONDHAND SMOKE…

EXCESS BODY WEIGHT…

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION…

POOR DIET…

PHYSICAL INACTIVITY…

U-V RADIATION…

AND INFECTION WITH VIRUSES KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER – LIKE H-P-V.

THEY FOUND ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF NEW CANCER CASES AMONG ADULTS 30 AND OLDER COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THESE RISK FACTORS… AND NEARLY HALF (44%) OF ALL DEATHS COULD.

BREAKING IT DOWN FURTHER – CIGARETTE SMOKING WAS BY FAR THE BIGGEST CULPRIT… CONTRIBUTING TO NEARLY 1 IN 5 CASES AND A THIRD OF DEATHS.

EXCESS BODY WEIGHT WAS THE SECOND BIGGEST CULPRIT.

PREVENTABLE CANCERS INCLUDE LUNG CANCER – BUT ALSO SKIN MELANOMAS… AND CERVICAL, ANUS, COLORECTAL AND BLADDER CANCERS.

AND THE STUDY FOUND CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE CAUSED BY MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS.

99 PERCENT OF LUNG CANCER CASES WERE LINKED TO SMOKING OR SECONDHAND SMOKE…

AND 100 PERCENT OF CERVICAL CANCER CASES WERE LINKED TO VIRAL INFECTION, NAMELY H-P-V – WHICH CAN BE AVOIDED BY GETTING A VACCINE.