United States: Modifiable risk determinants such as tobacco usage were implicated in approximately 40 percent of US adult cancer cases in 2019, according to a contemporary analysis spearheaded by the American Cancer Society.
This investigation, documented in “CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians,” scrutinized cancer incidences and fatalities among US adults aged 30 and above in 2019. The analysts approximated the quantities of cases and mortalities linked to modifiable risk determinants for 30 cancer types, according to Washington Post.
Risk determinants identified encompassed cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, excessive body mass, alcohol ingestion, consumption of red and processed meats, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables, ultraviolet radiation, and infections with oncogenic viruses.
Approximately 40 percent of the new cancer cases and 44 percent of the deaths were linked to modifiable risk factors. The major reason found was cigarette smoking, which contributed to 19.3 percent of the cancer cases and 28.5 percent of the deaths.
Along with this, excess body weight was the second reason, which contributed to 7.6 percent of cancer cases. It was followed by other factors such as consumption of alcohol – 5.4 percent, exposure to UV radiation – 4.6 percent, and lack of physical activity – 3.1 percent.
The researchers further examined the correlation between certain cancer types and risk determinants. Lung cancer exhibited the highest number of cases and fatalities attributable to risk factors in both genders. Skin melanoma, colorectal cancer, and urinary bladder cancer also exhibited a substantial proportion of cases attributable to these risk determinants.
As per the Washington Post, “Large numbers of cancer cases and deaths in the United States are attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors, underscoring the potential to substantially reduce the cancer burden through broad and equitable implementation of preventive initiatives,” the researchers asserted.