Types of cancer

Click on the list of types of cancer below to find out how lifestyle choices can affect your risk of different types of cancer.

• Bowel Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Endometrial Cancer (also known as Womb Cancer)
• Cancer of the Gallbladder
• Kidney Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Cancers of the Mouth, Pharynx and Larynx
• Cancer of the Nasopharynx
• Cancer of the Oesophagus
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Stomach Cancer

Bowel Cancer

There is convincing evidence that both red meat and processed meat are causes of bowel cancer, which is also known as colorectal cancer.

This is why WCRF UK recommends people limit intake of red meat, which includes pork, beef, lamb and goat, to 500g (cooked weight) a week.

You should also avoid processed meat, which is any meat that has been preserved by curing, salting or smoking, or by adding chemical preservatives. This includes hot dogs, ham, bacon and some sausages and burgers.

There is also convincing evidence being overweight – and particularly weight carried around the stomach - are causes of bowel cancer. This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends staying as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

With alcoholic drinks, the evidence that they are a cause of bowel cancer is convincing in men and probable in women. This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends limiting alcoholic drinks to no more than two a day for a man and one for a woman.

There is convincing evidence that physical activity reduces bowel cancer risk, which is one of the reasons you should be physically active for at least half an hour a day.

Find out more about reducing your risk of bowel cancer.

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Breast Cancer

The evidence is convincing that alcoholic drinks increase breast cancer risk, and this is one of the reasons why women should limit the amount of alcohol they drink and have no more than one drink a day.

There is convincing evidence that being overweight increases risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. The evidence also shows that being overweight probably decreases risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, but this is the less common type of breast cancer. This means that being overweight increases your overall risk of breast cancer.

This is one of the reasons why WCRF UK recommends you stay as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

Physical activity probably reduces risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, and this is one of the reasons why you should aim to be physically active for at least half an hour a day.

The evidence is convincing that being tall as an adult can increase postmenopausal breast cancer risk, and it probably also increases risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. A greater birth weight also probably increases risk of premenopausal breast cancer.

Find out more about reducing your risk of breast cancer.

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Endometrial Cancer (also known as Womb Cancer)

The evidence is convincing that body fatness is a cause of cancer of the endometrium (womb) and excess fat around the waist is also probably a cause.

This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

You can probably reduce risk of endometrial cancer by being physically active. This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being physically active for at least half an hour a day.

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Cancer of the Gallbladder

Body fatness is probably a cause of cancer of the gallbladder, which is a small pear-shaped organ connected to the liver.

This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

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Kidney Cancer

The evidence is convincing that body fatness is a cause of kidney cancer.

This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

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Liver Cancer

There is evidence that alcoholic drinks probably increase your risk of liver cancer. This one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends limiting alcoholic drinks to no more than two drinks a day for a man and one for a woman.

There is also convincing evidence that aflatoxins, a fungus that can contaminate grain, are a cause of liver cancer, though this is more of a problem in the developing world.

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Lung Cancer

By far the most important thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is not to smoke.

You can also probably reduce your lung cancer risk by eating fruit, and this is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends eating at least five portions a day of a variety of vegetables and fruits.

There is also convincing evidence that high levels of beta-carotene, as might be found in dietary supplements, can increase your lung cancer risk, and this is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends we do not take supplements for cancer prevention. It is best to get all your nutritional needs through diet alone.

There is also convincing evidence that arsenic in drinking water also increases lung cancer risk, though this is only really relevant in parts of the world without a regulated water supply.

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Cancers of the Mouth, Pharynx and Larynx

There is convincing evidence alcoholic drinks increase risk of developing these types of cancer. This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends limiting alcoholic drinks to two drinks a day for men and one for women.

You can also probably reduce your chances of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx and larynx through eating fruits and vegetables (which does not include starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes). This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends eating at least five portions a day of a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Find out more about reducing your risk of mouth and throat cancer.

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Cancer of the Nasopharynx

The evidence suggests eating Cantonese-style salted fish is probably a cause of this type of cancer, which affects the nasal part of the pharynx, which is just behind the nose.

This is more of a problem for people living in South East Asia, or eating a South East Asian diet.

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Cancer of the Oesophagus

The oesophagus is the medical name for the gullet, which is part of the digestive system.

The evidence shows that eating fruits and vegetables (not including starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes) probably reduces risk of cancer of the oesophagus. This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends eating at least five portions a day of a variety of vegetables and fruits.

The evidence is convincing that alcoholic drinks increase your risk, and this is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends limiting alcoholic drinks to two a day for a man and one for a woman.

There is also convincing evidence that excess body fat is a cause of cancer of the oesophagus, and this is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

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Pancreatic Cancer

The evidence is convincing that body fatness is a cause of cancer of the pancreas. Abdominal fatness, which is fat around your middle, is also probably a cause.

This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends being as lean as possible within the healthy weight range.

You can probably reduce your risk of this type of cancer by eating plenty of foods containing folate, such as green vegetables.

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Prostate Cancer

The evidence shows diets high in calcium are probably a cause of prostate cancer.

Foods containing lycopene, which is found in tomatoes and other red fruits, can probably reduce risk of prostate cancer, and this is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends eating at least five portions a day of a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

Selenium, which is found in supplements, also probably reduces prostate cancer risk, but because of other evidence around supplements the overall advice is not to take dietary supplements for cancer prevention. Selenium can also be founds in foods such as Brazil nuts.

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Skin Cancer

By far the most important thing you can do to prevent skin cancer is to cover up in the sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm during the summer months.

The evidence also shows arsenic in drinking water is probably a cause of skin cancer, though this mainly affects areas without a regulated supply of drinking water.

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Stomach Cancer

High levels of salt in your diet, which includes salty foods, probably increase risk of cancer of the stomach. This is why WCRF UK recommends avoiding salty foods and trying to limit the amount of salt in your diet to less than 6g a day.

You can also probably reduce your risk of stomach cancer by eating fruit and vegetables, and also by eating allium vegetables such as onions and leeks.

This is one of the reasons WCRF UK recommends eating at least five portions a day of a wide range of vegetables and fruits.