Nearly half of cancer cases are within our control. In a study published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, researchers at the American Cancer Society calculated how much risk factors for cancer are within a person’s control. The study analyzed national cancer data and calculated how much of cancer cases and deaths can be attributed to factors that people can change; these included smoking, being overweight or obese, drinking too much alcohol, eating red and processed meats, not exercising, six cancer-related infections (including HPV), and more. Among more than 1.5 million cancers in 2014, 42 percent were traced to these factors, as well as 45 percent of deaths in that year. Researchers say that this should be seen as encouraging overall since it supports the idea that a good proportion of cancer cases and deaths can possibly be avoided. The hope is that these findings will encourage local, state and federal lawmakers to support more policies that reduce these risk factors, such as creating smoke-free areas and encouraging physical exercise.

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