Annual statistics of cancer incidence and mortality in the United States are released each year, providing an accurate picture of the evolution of the epidemiology of the disease in this country. These data are particularly useful for understanding the effectiveness of the preventive and therapeutic interventions that have been made so far to address this public health problem, but also for the formulation of policies to further improve the survival of cancer patients.
However, as emphasized by the doctors of the Therapeutic Clinic (Alexandra Hospital) Theodora Psaltopoulou (Pathologist, Professor of Therapeutic-Epidemiology-Preventive Medicine), Michalis Liontos (Assistant Professor of Oncology), and Thanos Dimopoulos (former Rector EKPA, Professor of Therapeutics – Oncology – Hematology, Director of Therapeutic Clinic) we know that a significant percentage of cancer cases are due to modifiable risk factors. Therefore, these cancer cases and the resulting deaths could potentially be prevented.
Such factors are, as is well known, smoking, obesity, lack of physical exercise, nutritional and infectious factors and, especially for skin malignancies, exposure to ultraviolet solar radiation. Periodically recording the percentage of cancer cases related to such factors can help to understand the effectiveness of specific interventions that have already been implemented (e.g. smoking cessation campaigns), but also the need to implement new public health policies.
Already in 2018, a study was published that estimated that 42% of cancer cases in the United States in 2014 and 45% of cancer deaths were related to modifiable risk factors. Recently, updated data were published that took into account epidemiological data valid 5 years after the first publication (2019) for 30 types of cancer and for adults over 30 years of age. The new publication used epidemiological data on the relative risk of developing cancer caused by major modifiable factors based on population exposure to them as captured in large epidemiological studies in the United States. Therefore, this study takes into account the changes that have occurred in the last decade such as the decrease in the percentage of smokers.
Based on this new study, 40% of new cancer diagnoses are related to modifiable risk factors, while they are also responsible for 44% of deaths from the disease. These percentages are somewhat lower than the five-year analysis, demonstrating that there is an improvement in the implementation of a more healthy lifestyle in the population which is also reflected in the annual cancer statistics where mortality from the disease is reduced. Smoking remains the main risk factor associated with 20% of diagnoses and 30% of deaths from cancer, with the main diagnosis being lung cancer. It is followed by obesity associated with 7.5% of cases, alcohol consumption (5.4% of cases), dietary factors and mainly reduced fruit and vegetable intake and increased consumption of processed meat (4.2% of cases) and lack of physical activity. exercise (3% of cancer cases).
All the above data provide valuable information on the possibility of further reducing the incidence and mortality from cancer, say the experts of the Greek National Academy of Sciences. They add that strengthening policies that reduce smoking, tackle obesity and promote healthy eating habits are expected to further help prevent cancer in a significant proportion of the population in the future.
Source: RES-MPE
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