A recent study by the American Cancer Society (ACS) reveals that four in 10 cancer cases and almost half of all cancer deaths in U.S. adults aged 30 and older are linked to modifiable risk factors.
These factors include smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, diet, and infections.
The findings, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, highlight the significant impact of lifestyle choices on cancer.
The study analyzed data from 3.1 million Americans, focusing on 212,984 people who reported reinfections.
Researchers found that 713,340 cancer cases and 262,120 cancer deaths in 2019 were attributable to these modifiable risk factors. The leading risk factor was cigarette smoking, responsible for nearly 20% of all cancer cases and 30% of all cancer deaths.
“Despite significant declines in smoking over the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths due to smoking in the U.S. is alarming,” said Dr. Farhad Islami, senior scientific director of cancer disparity research at ACS and lead author of the report. “This underscores the importance of comprehensive tobacco control policies and increased efforts for early lung cancer detection.”
Interventions to promote healthy body weight and diet can also substantially reduce cancer cases and deaths, especially given the rising incidence of obesity-related cancers among younger individuals.
The study used nationally representative data on cancer incidence, mortality, and risk factor prevalence to estimate the proportion of cancer cases and deaths due to modifiable risk factors. These factors included smoking (current and former), secondhand smoke, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, diet, physical inactivity, UV radiation, and infections with various viruses and bacteria.
Cigarette smoking had the largest impact, with 344,070 cases (19.3% of all cases) attributable to smoking. This accounted for 56% of all preventable cancers in men and 39.9% in women. Excess body weight was the second largest factor (7.6%), followed by alcohol consumption (5.4%), UV radiation (4.6%), and physical inactivity (3.1%).
Certain cancer types were almost entirely caused by modifiable risk factors. For instance, 100% of cervical cancer and Kaposi sarcoma cases were linked to these factors. Over 80% of skin melanomas and cancers of the anus, larynx, lung, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, and oral cavity were also attributable to these risk factors.
Lung cancer had the highest number of cases linked to evaluated risk factors in both men (104,410 cases) and women (97,250 cases), followed by skin melanoma, colorectal cancer, and urinary bladder cancer in men, and breast, corpus uteri, and colorectal cancer in women.
“These findings highlight the need to improve access to preventive health care and raise awareness about preventive measures,” added Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at ACS. He emphasized the importance of vaccinations for hepatitis B and HPV, which can significantly reduce the risk of cancers associated with these viruses. HPV vaccination rates in the U.S. are still below optimal levels.
Other ACS authors of the study include Dr. Emily Marlow, Dr. Marjorie McCullough, and Dr. Alpa Patel. This research underscores the critical role of lifestyle choices in cancer prevention and the importance of targeted public health strategies.
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