Changing lifestyle could prevent 40% of cancers

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Bad lifestyle choices such as smoking, poor diet, high alcohol intake and excess weight are responsible for ‘around 40% of all cancers', according to new research.

These four factors alone account for a third of cancers diagnosed in the UK each year with another ten taking to total significantly higher. The results mean that every year around 134,000 diagnosed cancers (45% in men and 40% in women) could be prevented. Cancer Research UK's study found smoking was by far the most important lifestyle factor causing 23% of cancers in men and 15.6% in women, meaning almost one in five overall. After tobacco, lack of fruit and vegetables in a person's diet was the second highest risk factor (6.1% in men, 6.9% in women). These were followed by occ...

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