New Update! A study suggests that preventable risk factors cause almost half of cancer deaths worldwide

New Update! A study suggests that preventable risk factors cause almost half of cancer deaths worldwide

Updated on August 19, 2022 15:31 PM by Anthony Christian

The study contributes to a growing body of evidence to estimate the risk-attributable burden of cancer for specific cancers on a national, international, and global scale. The study is the largest to date to determine the global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors.

Researchers at the University of Washington wrote the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in the journal, directed by Chris Murray.

Cancer data for the past ten years

Data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease project was used in the study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Across 204 countries, Murray and his colleagues examined 23 cancer types and 34 risk factors, collecting data on deaths and disabilities from 2010 to 2019.

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Causes of this deadly disease

According to the data, cancer deaths related to risk are rising by 20.4% between 2010 and 2019. Researchers found that tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer accounted for 50% of risk-attributable deaths globally in 2019. Central Europe, east Asia, North America, southern Latin America, and Western Europe were the top five regions globally in 2019 regarding risk-attributable death rates.

Researchers concluded, "This study indicates that there is a substantial amount of cancer burden that can be prevented with interventions that reduce exposure to known cancer risk factors, but also that a significant amount of cancer burden cannot be avoided by reducing current estimate of the risk factors."

Cancer risk prevention must be accompanied by comprehensive cancer control strategies, encompassing early detection and effective treatment.

Related: A Chicago man with terminal cancer is saved by a double lung transplant.

Dr. Dahut about the recent study

A UK study found that HPV vaccination significantly reduced cervical cancer rates among women by 87%. In an email to CNN, Dr. William Dahut, president of the American Cancer Society, who was not involved in the new study, said the study clearly emphasizes the importance of primary cancer prevention and the growing number of associated cancers with obesity.

According to him, "Moderating behavior could help save millions of lives, far outweighing any drug ever approved," and tobacco remains highly problematic after 65 years of being linked to cancer. While tobacco use in the United States is lower than in other countries, certain states suffer disproportionately from cancer-related deaths.

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A higher rate of cancer death is from smoking

The International Journal of Cancer published a separate study earlier this month that found that cigarette smoking contributed 16.5% to the cancer death rate in Utah among adults ages 25 to 79 but 37.8% in Kentucky. According to an estimated loss of earnings due to cigarette smoking-associated cancer deaths, Wyoming lost $32.2 million to California lost $1.6 billion.

Additionally, Dahut said, alcohol consumption and an increase in the median body mass index will significantly contribute to the death rate of preventable cancers. As we move into a world where cancer screenings are precision-based and adaptable, cancer screening is particularly important for those with higher risks.

Related: Some foods prevent you from preventing cancer!

A solution to prevent cancer

"Our best hope of reducing the burden of cancer in the future lies in the elimination or mitigation of modifiable risk factors that contribute to it," they wrote. By reducing this burden, cancer services and the wider health sector can improve health and well-being and alleviate the compounding effects on people and fiscal resourcing pressures.

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