Half of US Cancer Deaths Avoidable, 'Alarming' Study Says

Four in 10 cancer cases and half of all adult cancer deaths in the United States could be avoided, new research indicates. The researchers say their findings demonstrate an urgent need for more effective interventions and access to preventive health care. Roughly 1.8 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, with about 600,000 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer can affect anyone, but our risk of developing the disease can be greatly increased by a number of environmental and lifestyle factors. Now, new research from the cancer society has revealed that hundreds of thousands of cancer cases could be avoided by changing these modifiable risk factors.

The team used nationally representative data to assess the proportion of cancer cases and deaths that were attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors, including smoking, secondhand smoke, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and infection with viruses known to cause cancer, like HPV. More From Newsweek Vault: What Is a Health Savings Account? In total, their results showed that in 2019, 713,340 cancer cases and 262,120 cancer deaths in U.S. adults over 30 could have been attributed to modifiable risk factors and, therefore, avoided. "Overall, these results are not surprising given what we have known for decades regarding lifestyle behaviors and cancer risk and cancer-specific mortality," Tracy Crane, co-leader of the Cancer Control Research Program at the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, told Newsweek. "What makes these findings different than previous reports are the more granular level of data on specific behaviors and cancer types," Crane continued. "For example, these findings report on not only broad dietary behaviors but more specifically about red and processed meats, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol, dietary fiber and dietary calcium." Cigarette smoking was by far the worst culprit, contributing to 56 percent of all potentially preventable cancers in men and 39.9 percent in women. More From Newsweek Vault: Compare the Top Health Savings Account (HSA) Providers "Despite considerable declines in smoking prevalence during the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in the United States is alarming," said Farhad Islami, senior scientific director of cancer disparity research at the cancer society and the report's lead author, in a statement. "This finding underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies in each state to promote smoking cessation, as well as heightened efforts to increase screening for early detection of lung cancer, when treatment could be more effective," Islami said. After cigarette smoking, excess body weight was No. 2, contributing to 7.6 percent, followed by alcohol consumption at 5.4 percent and UV radiation at 4.6.

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Certain types of cancer were more likely to be caused by modifiable risk factors, with 100 percent of cervical cancer cases, 80 percent of melanomas and 99 percent of lung cancers potentially avoidable. By contrast, only 4.9 percent of ovarian cancer cases were likely influenced by these modifiable risk factors. "This study is important because it is the first step in being able to provide more precise recommendations for individuals about what they can do to reduce their risk of developing and/or dying from cancer," Crane said. "While for both men and women, smoking and secondhand smoke remain the leading cause of preventable cancer death—at 32.9 percent and 25 percent, respectively—this new data on other lifestyle factors and cancer risk is an important conversation we need to be having." So what can you do to minimize your risk of cancer? "My advice to people who want to reduce their risk is to start small with making behavior change—these behaviors are additive in nature to reduce risk and tend to build on one another," Crane said. "It is not an all-or-nothing approach, and if you have a bad day, all is not lost because you have the opportunity to start again the next day," she continued. "Choose to add to your lifestyle versus focusing on removing—add a salad, a serving of whole grains, a few extra steps by parking farther away or...by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etcetera." These changes should focus on the following:

• Shifting toward a plant-heavy diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and whole grains.
• Limit intake of red and processed meats and added sugar.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate activity every week.
• Regularly use sunscreen.
• Stay up to date with age-appropriate cancer screenings.
• Stay up to date with vaccinations.
• Get help to quit smoking.

"When you focus on small changes throughout the day, these start to add up until you look back and realize you are eating better and moving your body more with simple changes," Crane said. Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek. Update 7/18/24, 9:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comments from Tracy Crane of the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.