Researchers believe making diet and lifestyle changes could prevent bowel cancer.A study published today makes a firm relation between an unhealthy lifestyle, person’s weight and bowel cancer cases, which is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Wales.
The researchers from Denmark found these recommendations on waist circumference,physical activity,smoking,alcohol and diet could reduce the risk of developing the disease upto 23%.Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in Wales, affecting more than 2,000 people a year.
Researchers from Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, in Copenhagen, said: “Our study reveals the useful public health message that even modest differences in lifestyle might have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk and emphasises the importance of continuing vigorous efforts to convince people to follow the lifestyle recommendations.”
The Danish research, which is published by the BMJ today, studied more than 55,000 men and women aged 50 to 64 to examine the relation between healthy lifestyle advice and the risk of bowel cancer in middle-aged people. The participants were followed for 10 years and questioned about their lifestyle habits and diet.
The researchers created a healthy lifestyle index using internationally-accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organisation, World Cancer Research Fund and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.These included being physically active people for at least 30 minutes a day,having no more than 7 drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men,being a non-smoker,having a waist circumference below 88cm for women and 102cm for men and consuming a healthy diet.
During follow up, 678 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer. After looking at how participants managed to keep each of the five lifestyle recommendations, the researchers calculated that if all participants except the healthiest had followed even one additional recommendation, it was possible that 13% of the bowel cancer cases could have been prevented.If all participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23% of the bowel cancer cases could have been avoided.
Dr Rosemary Fox, acting director of the screening division of Public Health Wales, said; “In Wales bowel cancer is the third biggest killer of men and women and around 1,000 people die every year from the disease. However, if it is picked up early, it’s also one of the most treatable forms of cancer“.“Screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage in people with no symptoms. That is why it is so important for everyone aged between 60 and 69 to take up the opportunity to be screened and make it part of their regular health check.”
A second study, also published today, suggests adults with low education should be given access to a decision aid to help them decide whether to take part bowel cancer screening.
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