Lifestyle Changes Could Prevent 340,000 Cancer Cases in the U.S. Yearly

Many Americans vowed to lose weight, get in shape and stay healthy after the recent New Year. Now, researchers at the World Cancer Research Fund say it is more important than ever to be active and stay healthy.

And, if people don't start addressing lifestyle issues that lead to cancer, experts believe rates of cancer worldwide could double in the next two decades.

New information from WCRF reveals that about 340,000 cancer cases could be prevented each year in the United States if more Americans ate healthy, exercised regularly and limited their alcohol intake.

"The Expert Report found a convincing link between excess body fat and risk of several cancers," Dr. Tim Byers, expert in cancer prevention and associate dean for the Colorado School of Public Health, explained in a Q and A report from the American Institute for Cancer Research. "So we looked at data from U.S. surveys to find out how much of the population is overweight and obese. Rift Gold We then worked out the percentage of those specific cancers that would be prevented if everyone in the U.S. maintained a healthy weight. We did the same thing for diet, and for activity levels."

The results reveal that lifestyle changes could reduce breast cancer by 38 percent, stomach cancer by 47 percent and colon cancer by 45 percent.

Of course, other lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke and avoiding harmful sun exposure can also reduce a person's risk of cancer, but the AICR and WCRF Expert Report did not include information about smoking.

"The AICR/WCRF Expert Report and the Policy Report only looked at food, nutrition, physical activity and body weight," said Byers.

Other preventability factors such as smoking were outside the boundries of this study.

"Obesity control is most important," Byers told AOL Health. "For breast cancer, obesity causes elevated estrogens. For esophagus it causes acid reflux. Moderate regular activity helps control body weight, but it also provides other benefits by mechanisms not yet known."

The American Cancer Society also released information Friday about a similar report predicting that cancers such as lung, breast and colorectal cancer, RIFT Platinum which are associated with lifestyle and behavioral decisions, including tobacco use, will continue to rise in developing countries if preventative measures are not taken.

Findings from these ACS reports will be released today on World Cancer Day in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

According to information from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there were approximately 12.7 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2008. rift gold By 2030, the number of cancer cases could double worldwide. The ACS recognizes the increase as the result of demographic changes, but that it may also be compounded by the adoption of unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, poor diet, reduced physical activity and increased alcohol consumption.

Another editorial in the CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, written by Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, estimates that about 2.6 million of the 7.6 million cancer deaths that occurred in 2008, RIFT Platinum or about 7,300 cancer deaths per day, were potentially avoidable through the prevention of known risk factor such as tobacco exposure, dietary factors, alcohol use and certain infections.