• Researchers identified 30 modifiable factors that influence cancer risk, from smoking to sun exposure.
• More than one-third of cancers in North America were associated with preventable risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, overweight or obesity, and physical inactivity.
• Experts recommend regular exercise, healthy eating, and reducing stress as viable ways to reduce your cancer risk..

Common lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol regularly, and avoiding exercise can increase your risk of cancer.

A new study found that approximately 40% of new cancer cases could have been prevented due to these factors.

This global study was published on February 3rd. natural medicinetracked the proportion of cancer diagnoses due to modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors in 2022. The most common cancers associated with these factors include lung cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer.

Researchers identified 30 “modifiable risk factors” across 185 countries, including:

• smoke a cigarette
• drinking
• are overweight or obese
• not getting enough exercise
• chewing tobacco or areca nuts
• Not breastfeeding or not breastfeeding for long enough
• air pollution
• too much sun exposure
• certain infectious diseases
• Exposure to hazardous substances at work

A study in Nature Medicine found that more than a third of new cancers in North America are associated with modifiable risk factors.

“There are many things people can do to prevent cancer,” he said. Alison SteinbergRN, MPH, oncology nurse and director of cancer prevention and early detection strategies at the Prevent Cancer Foundation, was not involved in the study.

Lung cancer has the highest number of preventable cases globally and in North America, with 1.8 million cases in 2022 linked to modifiable factors. The main cause is tobacco.

Smoking alone causes more preventable cancers than any other single factor, causing 360,529 cancer cases, accounting for nearly 15% of all new diagnoses.

The study found that women in North America smoke at a rate more than twice the global average.

“We should do everything we can to educate and inform that tobacco remains the number one cause of lung cancer and multiple other types of cancer,” he said. Christine LovelyMD, leads the national thoracic oncology program at City of Hope. Lavery was not involved in the study.

However, the number of lung cancers affecting non-smokers is increasing. According to data, 10% to 20% of all lung cancer cases in the United States currently occur in people who have never smoked or who rarely smoke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This means that factors other than tobacco, such as air pollution, also cause a significant proportion of cases.

“Everyone is at risk because we have lungs,” LaVry said.

In North America, being overweight or obese led to 5.2% of cancer diagnoses.

This risk factor is the second most important cause of cancer for women in North America, contributing to 7.1% of cases.

Lack of physical activity is responsible for an additional 1.8% of all cancers.

While experts say There is no safe amount of alcohol There are things we take to minimize our cancer risk, and research highlights that we can lower our risk by reducing our intake.

While it can be difficult to avoid air pollution, there are steps you can take to minimize your exposure, such as staying indoors as much as possible on days when air quality is poor. Use the filter to improve the air in your home.

Radon gas, a little-known indoor air pollutant, can be lurking in your home at varying levels depending on where you live.

Although the new global study did not specifically mention radon, this odorless and colorless gas second most common cause Lung cancer rates among nonsmokers in the United States.

Lovely recommends regularly testing your home for potentially harmful radon levels and installing a radon mitigation system if necessary.

UV radiation is responsible for 4.1% of all cancers in North America, and 5.1% of cancer cases in men are specifically affected by UV radiation.

Research has identified intentional use. sunscreen An important way to reduce skin cancer is to reduce exposure, especially during childhood.

Cervical cancer is considered the most preventable cancer in women after lung cancer.

Almost all cases are caused by infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV), making it one of the most preventable cancers through vaccination and screening.

The study notes that other infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, continue to cause infections. liver cancerEspecially in Africa.

Researchers say increasing vaccination rates and better prevention of the disease could help lower cancer risk.

Health experts describe health as a proactive strategy built on three key pillars that work together to prevent disease.

• physical activity
• healthy eating
• stress reduction

“I think wellness is about preventing disease, not treating it,” Lovely said. She frames lifestyle choices as powerful medicine. “Food is medicine, exercise is medicine, and sleep is medicine.”

The following recommendations will help maintain and improve your overall health and lower your risk of cancer.

Experts emphasized that physical activity is not just about losing weight. Any exercise is better than no exercise and can help prevent cancer.

“Regardless of whether you’re at a normal weight or not, sitting around and not doing anything will have a negative effect on your body,” Kuczuk says. “If you sit all day, you lose muscle. Muscle is very important in a healthy lifestyle.”

Healthcare organizations recommend that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of training. moderate intensity exercise Weekly — approximately 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.

Steinberg offered practical strategies: “I think it’s always helpful to have an accountability partner. It’s hard to do things on your own.”

She suggested having someone to call during your walks or intentionally plan your moves. “If you’re sitting at a desk, make sure you have a way to move around. Small steps can make a difference.”

Health experts and scientists hail the Mediterranean diet as the gold standard for healthy eating.

“All vegetables and fruits are good. Certain vegetables and fruits contain chemicals that are known to protect against cancer,” Kuczuk says.

He said the following foods contain compounds known to have cancer-preventing properties:

Experts say stress not only has negative effects on health, but it can also promote some preventable behaviors and increase cancer rates.

Omer KuchukM.D., Emory University Winship Cancer Institute, studies the role of nutrition in cancer prevention and treatment. Although he was not involved in the study, he told Healthline that stress can lead people to engage in cancer-causing behaviors.

“Some people drink when they’re stressed, and some people smoke when they’re stressed,” he told Healthline.

Stress overeating creates an even more vicious cycle. “When they’re stressed, they keep eating and eating and eating. They feel less stressed for maybe 10, 15 minutes, but then they feel guilty, so they’re even more stressed,” Kuczuk says.

The key, he said, is to learn how to deal with stress through healthier ways, such as exercise, spending time in nature, and having a positive attitude. social connectionsas well as by avoiding stressful people and situations.

In addition to lifestyle changes, experts point out the importance of proactively learning about individual risks based on family history and recommending testing.

“A lot of these precautions are personal,” Steinberg said.

the current Lung cancer screening guidelines It only targets people aged 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history, leaving non-smokers inaccessible despite rising cancer rates.

Lavery is advocating for expanded screening and new blood tests to detect cancer early in non-smokers.

“We can’t control the mutations in the DNA in our cells, but we can learn about our family history and risks and control what we eat,” Steinberg said.