In this video from Medcram, Dr.Seheult discusses a journal article that just came out from the American Cancer Society that reviews the potentially modifiable risk factors for cancer. This article is reviewing diagnosed cancers up until the year 2020 and the identifiable risk factors that can be modified, and how many cases of cancer can be attributed to these risk factors. What this study found overall was that 40% of all the cancers they evaluated were attributable to certain risk factors that they identified. These risk factors included cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, UV radiation, physical inactivity, HPV infection, low fruit and vegetable intake, processed meat, low dietary fiber, H. pylori infection, red meat, HCV infection, HIV infection, low dietary calcium, secondhand smoke, EBV infection, HBV infection and HHV8 infection.
How dangerous is cigarette smoking and cancer risk?
Cigarette smoking was attributable to almost half of all of the identified cancers. When the risk factors were identified by sex, it was more evident that cigarette smoking contributed significantly. For men it came in at 22.7% compared to 19.3% overall including both sexes.. After cigarette smoking for men was UV radiation at 5.6 %, excess body weight at 4.8%, and alcohol consumption at 4.7%.
In women, the cigarette smoking risk is also high at 15.8%. This is followed by excess body weight at 10.6%, and alcohol consumption at 6.2%.
What are some of the preventable cancers?
The study went on to identify the types of cancers that are associated with modifiable attributable risk and hence considered to be the most preventable. The number one preventable cancers were cancer of the cervix and Kaposi sarcoma. This was followed by cancer of the anus, melanoma of the skin, larynx, lung, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, oral cavity, liver, stomach, vagina, penis, uterine cancer, colorectal cancer, nasal cavity, urinary bladder, kidney, and renal pelvis, ureter, vulva, Hodgkin lymphoma, gallbladder, breasts, pancreas, acute myeloid leukemia, myeloma, thyroid, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
How can you screen for lung cancer?
What is the effect of smoking on lung cancer and what can you do about it? Many people don’t know that for adults aged 50 to 80 years old who have had at least a 20 pack year smoking history and either are still currently smoking or have quit within the past 15 years, there is a recommendation by the United States Services Preventive Task Force that recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low dose computed tomography or LDCT scan. If a nodule is found on the screen CT, that will set off a cascade of events that will need to be followed up on. If you would like to learn more about lung cancer, Medcram has a course on lung cancer clearly explained.
LINKS / REFERENCES:
Proportion and number of cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors in the United States, 2019 (CA) | https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wil…
Lung Cancer: Screening (USPSTF) | https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskf…
Lung Cancer Explained Clearly (MedCram) | https://www.medcram.com/courses/lung-…