Cancer Risk Can Decrease Significantly by Taking Basic Preventive Measures, Study Finds

— -- Cancer can seem to strike out of the blue, but taking basic preventative measures may decrease a person's chance of developing forms of the disease by as much as 45 percent, according to a review of studies published today in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Medical experts have asserted for decades that certain behaviors including smoking and eating an unhealthy diet can increase the risk of developing cancer. In the report published today, researchers attempted to understand how reducing these behaviors and living a healthy lifestyle could affect a person's chance of developing cancer.

The researchers examined 12 ongoing cohort studies, looking at the health of people between the ages of 25 to 79 and their habits. They found those who adhered to cancer prevention guidelines including living a physically active lifestyle, eating five or more servings of vegetables per day and limiting alcohol consumption were not-so-surprisingly less likely to develop cancer.

What was striking was the significance of the decrease. Those who followed the guidelines had a 10 to 45 percent reduction in the risk of developing cancer, decreasing with healthier lifestyle habits. Similarly, they saw a 14 to 61 percent reduction in deaths from cancer among the people who adhered to these guidelines. More research is needed to see if these initial findings continue to hold firm past the 7 to 14 years of monitoring done during this analysis. That amount of time may not be enough to fully understand how healthy behaviors affect cancer development. Additionally subjects self-reported their activities, which is not the most accurate way to measure healthy behaviors.

“If you adhere to these guidelines, you may reduce your risk of getting or dying from cancer, though the risk is not totally eliminated,” lead author Lindsay Kohler, a doctoral candidate at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona said in a statement today. She noted that family history and environmental factors also play a role in cancer development and death.

“However, following these recommendations will lead to healthier lives overall and, in turn, reduce the risk for many major diseases," she said.

Dr. Gregory Cooper, Co-Program Leader for Cancer Prevention and Control at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, explained that these types of studies can help him illustrate to patients why exactly it's important to adhere to a healthy lifestyle.

"I'll tell a patient that there was just a study that was published that people who ate five servings of fruits and veggies a day can have low risk of cancer," said Cooper. Additionally he said this information can be used to help educate patients in cases where precancerous lesions may be found, such as during a colonoscopy.

Patients ask "'What caused it?' I say part of it is probably hereditary and part of it might be related to diet," Cooper said. "It's another opportunity to educate patients. You have pre-cancerous polyps and it may be a way to prevent that."

Cooper also pointed out that just because a person lives a healthy lifestyle and has no known cancer risks, does not mean they can avoid recommended testing. He pointed out that there is still a significant portion of cancer cases where the likely cause remains unknown.