Press releases

Charity: 80,000 preventable UK cancer cases every year

16 November 2009

Almost 80,000 cases of cancer in the UK could be prevented every year by eating healthily, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight, according to new figures released today by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

The charity estimates about 78,700 cases of 12 common cancers could be prevented, including 19,100 cases of breast cancer and 16,100 cases of bowel cancer.

But despite the number of preventable cancer cases, only 60 per cent of people in Britain are aware of the link between diet and cancer and awareness levels are even lower for body fat (59 per cent) and physical activity (45 per cent).

Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser for WCRF, said: “These estimates set out in stark terms just how high the stakes are and show what could be achieved through making relatively simple lifestyle changes.

“Many people still think of cancer as a question of fate but this emphasises that people can significantly reduce their risk by eating healthily, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.

“When you consider that these estimates do not include the cancers that would be prevented through not smoking, it is clear that cancer is actually a largely preventable disease.

“Having a healthy lifestyle is by no means a guarantee against cancer. But if everyone followed our recommendations, it would mean that tens of thousands of cases in the UK would be prevented every year.

“But despite the strong scientific evidence on this, many people are still not aware of how they can reduce their risk. This is why more needs to be done to get the message across because it is only when people are aware of what the science is saying that they are in a position to make their own informed lifestyle choices.”

WCRF has developed 10 recommendations that people can follow if they want to reduce their risk of cancer:

• Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fibre, or high in salt).
• Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and pulses such as beans.
• Limit consumption of red meats and avoid processed meats If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to two for men and one for women a day.
• Limit consumption of salty foods and food processed with salt.
• Don’t use supplements for cancer prevention.
• It’s best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for up to six months and then add other liquids and foods.
• After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

As well as following these recommendations, people should remember that not smoking or using tobacco is the single most important thing for preventing cancer. ENDS For more information contact Richard Evans on 020 7343 4253.

Notes to editors:

• WCRF has calculated the estimates by combining existing estimates on the proportion of UK cancer cases that could be prevented with incidence rates for these cancers in the UK.
• The estimates are based on what would be expected to happen if, for these lifestyle factors, everyone in the UK had the healthiest patterns seen in the UK at the moment.

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About WCRF

World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) raises awareness that cancer is largely preventable and helps people make choices to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

This includes research into how cancer risk is related to diet, physical activity, and weight management, and education programmes that highlight the fact that about a third of cancers could be prevented through changes to lifestyle. For more information on the charity’s work, visit www.wcrf-uk.org

The WCRF report, called Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007 and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.dietandcancerreport.org