Summary
The American Cancer Society reports that more than 60 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented. The death rate could realistically be cut in half if Americans gave up cigarettes, exercised more, got regular cancer screenings and improved their diets. About 1.3 million Americans will discover they have cancer in 2005, and about 560,000 of them will die from the disease.
Almost 170,000 of those deaths are attributable to smoking alone, and another 190,000 will be related to poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and obesity. Screenings would also prevent many cancer deaths, particularly from breast cancer.
Original source:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=629256
Details
More than 60 percent of all cancer deaths could be prevented if Americans stopped smoking, exercised more, ate healthier food and underwent recommended cancer screenings, the American Cancer Society reported on Thursday.
Americans could realistically cut the death rate in half, the report says.
"The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2005, more than 168,140 cancer deaths will be caused by tobacco use alone," the organization said in a statement.
"The issue is how many could you actually pull off in reality and half doesn't seem like a big stretch," Dr. Michael Thun, head of epidemiology for the non-profit group, said in an interview.
"Increasing colorectal screening and high quality mammography and Pap (tests for cervical cancer) would contribute another fraction.
For instance, breast cancer, which kills 40,000 women and men in the United States every year, can usually be easily treated if caught before it spreads.
In February a team at Harvard Medical School calculated that if every woman aged between 50 and 79 got a mammogram every year, it would reduce deaths from breast cancer by 37 percent.
Colon cancer and prostate cancer, two other top cancer killers, are also easily detected early with proper screening.
Encouraging smokers to quit and changing social norms about smoking have also helped drive the nation's smoking rate below 25 percent, he said.
Tackling obesity will be more difficult, Thun said.
"Just from a common-sense point of view, anything which increases physical activity, makes healthy food more available, limits access (to) and marketing of unhealthy foods is likely to be a step in the right direction," Thun said.
The reality is things like smoking and obesity and physical inactivity are often described as voluntary but the choices we make are made in a social context," he said.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Sunday, April 10, 2005
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