Cancers Caused by Lifestyle Behaviors: Experts Urge Action
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In launching the World Cancer Report 2014 earlier this week, the editors emphasized the need for prevention and highlighted lifestyle behaviors that lead to cancer, including smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, overweight/obesity, and lack of exercise. The report, issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IACR), contains contributions from more than 250 scientists worldwide, many of them leading experts in their fields. It offers a "timely update," said Margaret Chan, MD, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). The report compiles the most up-to-date analysis of data on all aspects of cancer, and among the evidence presented are data showing the extent to which lifestyle behaviors contribute to cancer. This is "a key reference tool that will find extensive use among scientists, public health workers, and governments in supporting the implementation of national and regional plans for cancer prevention and control," Dr. Chan writes in the foreword.
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@sandesh Decades of research have shown that cutting tobacco use is the single most powerful way to prevent many deadly cancers, especially in developing countries where smoking is most widespread. Tackling obesity, a key modifiable risk factor for many cancers, is another top prevention priority.