Top preventable cancer causes in UK revealed – and how to cut your risk
Smoking, being overweight and exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and sunbeds are the main preventable causes of cancer, experts have warned.
Researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analyzed 30 risk factors for cancer, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and air pollution.
Using data from 185 countries, they estimate that of the 18.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed globally in 2022, approximately 7.1 million are preventable.
UK figures show around 32.6 per cent of all new cancer cases – more than 148,000 – It was caused by preventable factors during the period.
The most important cause was tobacco smoking, accounting for 16.2 percent of cases; followed by excess body fat (4.2 percent) and ultraviolet radiation (3.6 percent).
The leader of WHO’s cancer control team, Dr. “We are here today to celebrate good news based on strong science; many cancers are preventable,” said Andre Ilbawi, MD, calling for prevention strategies that focus on combating risks rather than placing blame.
He added findings published in the journal Nature Medicine“help us understand what drives the cancer burden and what the highest risks are for different populations.”
“Tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, unhealthy diet, physical activity and infections such as human papillomavirus and hepatitis – these continue to lead to preventable injuries, preventable illness and death,” said Dr. Ilbawi.
“Therefore, investing in cancer prevention provides far-reaching health, social and economic benefits.
“There is one important message to remember; prevention must be carefully communicated, focusing on risk reduction rather than blame, emphasizing policy and structural solutions, accepting uncertainty and respecting the dignity of people living with cancer.”
Smoke
Smoking causes at least 16 different types of cancer and is the biggest cause of lung cancer in the UK.
According to Cancer Research UK, 79 per cent of lung cancer cases in the UK are thought to be preventable.
The latest research found that more than 68,000 cases of cancer in women were preventable, with tobacco being the biggest cause at 13.8 percent.
More than a third of new cancer cases in men could have been prevented; this equated to more than 80,000, but again the leading cause was smoking at 18.5 percent. The largest site of cancer in men was the lungs, with 19,000 cases.
There are more than 5000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, and 70 of them are known to cause cancer.
When these harmful chemicals enter the lungs, they affect the entire body and damage DNA.
drinking alcohol
According to Cancer Research UK, alcohol can cause seven different types of cancer, including bowel, breast, mouth, throat and liver cancer. Alcohol Change UK said it was responsible for around 3.3 per cent of cancer cases in the country – around 11,900 cases a year.
The latest research revealed that alcohol consumption is one of the most important causes of cancer in men with 4.1 percent. It was also found that more than 10,000 cases of colorectal cancer in men were partially caused by alcohol consumption.
When alcohol is consumed, the body converts it into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which can prevent cells from repairing damage in the body.
It also increases the levels of some hormones such as estrogen and insulin. – Cancer Research UK warned that this could cause cells to divide more frequently and increase the chances of developing cancer.
High BMI
Being overweight or obese is the second biggest cause of cancer in the UK, causing more than one in 20 cases of cancer.
The study found there were more than 17,000 cases of lung cancer in women in the UK, followed by more than 12,000 cases of breast cancer caused by excess body weight or not getting enough exercise, as well as alcohol consumption.
Excess body weight was one of the most important causes of cancer in women with 5.5 percent.
Too much body fat can cause cancer for several reasons: It can cause elevated levels of hormones that tell cells to divide more frequently, and it can also cause inflammation, which causes cells to divide faster.
But weight loss vaccines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro may help reduce this risk, with around 1.6 million Britons using them last year.
A study published in the journal eClinicalMedicine It suggests that weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, may have a significant anti-cancer effect beyond simply aiding weight loss, due to the drugs’ ability to reduce inflammation.
ultraviolet radiation
Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun or sunbeds is responsible for 3.4 percent of cancer cases in women and 3.8 percent in men.
Although some people claim that sunbathing is an integral part of healthy living, sunburn is still skin damage and increases the risk of skin cancer.
Sunbeds are known to increase the risk of melanoma – It is the deadliest type of skin cancer, killing approximately six people a day. Around 100 melanoma deaths each year in the UK are linked to sunbed use, according to charity Melanoma Focus.
The World Health Organization classifies sun loungers as as dangerous as smoking. Using sunbeds before the age of 20 increases the risk of melanoma skin cancer by 47 percent compared to people who have never used them.
The government has proposed a crackdown on fraudulent businesses that are flouting the law and putting children’s health at risk by selling sunbed sessions to under-18s.
New proposals under the soon-to-launch National Cancer Plan will strengthen requirements for commercial sunbed use, including banning unsupervised sessions and introducing mandatory ID checks to verify users are over 18.
What does global analysis say?
According to the research, 7.1 million preventable cancer cases worldwide correspond to four out of 10 cases.
Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, deputy chief of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit, said: “This represents 37.8 per cent of the total cancer burden, a very significant proportion.
“If we break this down by the main risk factors, 3.3 million cases are caused by smoking, 2.2 million cases are caused by infections and around 700,000 cases are caused by alcohol.
“Thus, these three factors represent the majority of the preventable global cancer burden and highlight where prevention efforts can have the greatest impact.
“Each country and region needs to adapt global and regional strategies to prevention priorities aligned with its specific cancer burden profile.”
The global analysis also highlighted a significant disparity between men and women worldwide when it comes to the causes of cancer.
According to the study, 45 percent of new global cancer cases among men were linked to preventable risk factors, while this rate was 30 percent among women.
