60% of Cancer Deaths Are Preventable

By MAGGIE FOX

WASHINGTON MAR 31, 2005 (Reuters) - More than 60 percent of all cancer deaths could be prevented if Americans stopped smoking, exercised more, ate more healthful food and got recommended cancer screenings, the American Cancer Society reported today.

"The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2005, more than 168,140 cancer deaths will be caused by tobacco use alone," the organization said.

"In addition, scientists estimate that approximately one-third (190,090) of the 570,280 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2005 will be related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, overweight, obesity and other lifestyle factors."

That totals 358,230 or 62 percent of all cancer deaths.

"The issue is how many could you actually pull off in reality, and half doesn"t seem like a big stretch," said Dr. Michael Thun, head of epidemiology for the nonprofit group.

"If one could eliminate tobacco use, you would eliminate about half of cancer deaths. If you could help people maintain a healthy body weight and get more physical activity, that would be another 10 percent."

"Increasing colorectal screening and high-quality mammography and Pap (smears for cervical cancer) would contribute another fraction. It is very plausible that one could get a 50 percent reduction."

For instance, breast cancer, which kills 40,000 women and men in the United States every year, is easily treated if caught before it spreads. In February a team at Harvard Medical School calculated that if every woman 50 to 79 got a mammogram every year, deaths from breast cancer would fall by 37 percent.

Colon cancer and prostate cancer also are easily caught early with proper screening.

But the single easiest way to prevent cancer would be to stop all tobacco use, the report says.

" ... In addition to education, measures that make a huge difference are things like increasing excise taxes on cigarettes and the clean-air laws that have been enacted to protect nonsmokers," Thun said.


"Reuters content is the intellectual property of Reuters Limited. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon."