Cancer: is it really more about luck than lifestyle?

For those whose new year’s resolutions are focused around a healthier and more active lifestyle, today’s news may come as something of a surprise.

Scientists have claimed that two-thirds of cancer cases have less to do with lifestyle and more to do with, well, effectively how the stars align.

The study, by John Hopkins University, suggests that DNA mutations accumulating throughout the body during cell division are the main reason fuelling development of cancer – not lifestyle issues. The more often cells divide, the more likely it is that letters of their genetic code will become jumbled, leading to supposed “bad luck” mutations that can lead to an increased cancer risk.

Of 31 cancers studied by scientists, just nine were found to be linked to lifestyle or genetic faults. The remaining 22 were mainly just the result of “bad luck”, with DNA and behaviour having a small impact.

Lifestyle factors

So is this a cue to scrap all pre-emptive measures such as fresh fruit and exercise? Absolutely not, experts have responded. Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, told Channel 4 News that today’s headlines miss the fact that certain types of cancer had higher risk than predicted by the number of stem cell divisions.

“With any research you take the whole research data into account. We know clearly that smoking too much, drinking too much and being overweight increases the odds in favour. We also know that aside from cancer, it can also put you at risk of other lifestyle-related illnesses,” Dr Vautrey said.

“The right message is address your lifestyle factors – as that is the simplest way of leading a long and healthy life.”

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) currently estimates 587,000 cases of cancer diagnosed between 2007 and 2011 could have been avoided through healthier lifestyles.

But assuming much of this is ultimately about luck, what lifestyle factors can improve your odds?

Call it quits on cigarettes

Tempted to light up? Be aware the statistics are practically irrefutable – even in the face of today’s news.

Smoking is still one of the biggest preventable cause of cancer. More than 41,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in the UK, with smoking being the cause in around 90 per cent of cases.

In fact, giving up would have had the biggest impact on reducing cance, according to CRUK – resulting in more than 314,000 fewer cases in the UK since 2009.

Shed pounds and cut red meat

Some 144,800 cases in the UK from 2007 and 2011 were the result of a poor diet, according to CRUK. Eating too much red and processed meat and salt, and too little fruit and vegetables were most to blame.

Meanwhile, a US study released last month found that losing less than half a stone could reduce the chance of dying from breast cancer by two thirds.

The World Cancer Research Fund advises against eating more than 500g a week of cooked red meat.

Go beyond a dry January

Alcohol played a key role in 62,200 cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK between 2007 and 2011, according to CRUK. Another study by Boston University said that 15 per cent of breast cancer deaths in the US were attributable to alcohol.

Alcohol has also been classified as one of the most carcinogenic substances by the World Health Organisation in 1988 and is particularly linked to cancers of the mouth, throat and liver. Cutting down would almost undoubtedly improve odds of defence.

Watch your time in the sun

Most cases of skin cancer, or malignant melanoma, are caused by the sun’s rays. In fact exposure to UV radiation from sunlight was involved in 55,900 cancer cases between 2007 and 2011, CRUK says.

But with British weather, risks of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is even more common, with 23,000 new diagnoses in the UK each year, according to the University of Dundee in Scotland and Leiden University medical centre in the Netherlands.

It is caused by longer-term, cumulative exposure to UV, such as repeated time on a tanning bed, rather than burning, and accounts for 500 UK deaths each year.

Take precautions in dangerous workplaces

Workplace risks such as asbestos contribute to potential dangers. There is a direct link between the disease and the inhalation of asbestos fibres.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the membrane which covers the internal organs and it is currently incurable. Patients live, on average, for eight months following diagnosis.

Government figures reportedly suggest the disease caused 2,291 deaths in Britain in 2011 with the disease is set to reach its peak in 2016.