Over a hundred thousand cancers diagnosed in the UK every year could be prevented as they are directly caused by smoking, unhealthy diets, alcohol and obesity, which is a third of all cases.
This latest lifestyle study, the most comprehensive ever commissioned in Great Britain, concluded that 45 percent of cancers in men, and 40 percent of cancers in women are preventable.
Smoking is the number one cause of cancer( no real surprise) causing cancers to 23 percent of men and almost 16 percent of women, but it was found that a diet lacking in fruit and vegetables caused cancer in over 6 percent of men, and being obese caused nearly 7 percent of cancers in women
Professor Max Parkin, a cancer specialist at Queen Mary, University of London is quoted of saying that Many consider that cancer is just a matter of fate, or it's "in the genes" but he also states that the evidence is overwhelming that about 40 percent of cancers are totally preventable, with some radical lifestyle changes
Professor Parkin added that they were surprised about the significance of eating fruit and vegetables in reducing the risks of men getting cancers, and also the increased risk to women if they were obese.
.Cancer Research UK, carried out this study of approximately 314,250 cancer cases nationwide last year, with 60,837 cases caused by tobacco
A spokeswomen from Cancer Research UK Sara Hiom, said: "We know, especially during the Christmas party season, that it is hard to watch what you eat and limit alcohol and we do not want people to feel guilty about having a drink or indulging a bit more than usual, but it is very important for people to understand that long-term changes to their lifestyles can really reduce their cancer risk."
Leading a healthy lifestyle will not guarantee you will not get cancer, but it will significantly reduce the chances this comprehensive study shows.
