A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health claims that lifestyle changes could prevent a third of deaths from cancer. The report, featured in The Lancet, suggests that a ‘substantial proportion’ of the 7 million cancer deaths per year could be more reduced through health interventions.
Smoking is responsible for 21% of all cancer deaths, and is accountable for 856,000 deaths a year from lung, bronchial and tracheal cancers. Alcohol and low fruit and vegetable intake accounts for 5% of cancer deaths, while sexual transmission of the human papilloma virus is a leading risk factor for cervical cancer in low-and-middle-income countries. Despite plans for improved cancer treatments, the chance of eliminating cancer in the next 50 years is unlikely, therefore creating a financial burden on global health services, who will struggle to pay for new treatments and prevention programmes.
Karol Siroka from Imperial College and Hammersmith hospital in London predicted that in 20 years ‘we will be talking about controlling cancer in the long term, not eradicating it but making cancer like diabetes.’