Unhealthy Lifestyle Fuels Increasing Cancer Rates

Filed in archive Cases , Studies on August 8, 2007

You probably know that already, but it doesn't hurt to add more salt to the wound so to speak, as long as the message hits home loud and clear.

These are new statistics released by Cancer Research UK which revealed tremendous rise in cancers linked to excessive sun exposure, alcohol, smoking and obesity:

• Rates of melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) increased by over 40 per cent in the past decade. Now, melanoma is the fastest rising cancer in the UK.


• Mouth cancer rates have increased by almost a quarter over the last decade -most especially in people who smoke or chew tobacco and regularly drink alcohol.


• Over the last 10 years womb cancer rates have increased by over 20 per cent. Higher risk in overweight and obese women.


• Rates of kidney cancer have increased by more than 10 per cent over the past decade - mainly because of smoking and being overweight - two of the major risk factors for this disease.


• But there are some good news as well: 1) the rates of cervical cancers are falling - thanks to national screening programmes, 2) lung cancer rates is continuously decreasing, especially in men - thanks to successful smoking cessation campaigns.

Most researches suggest that about half of all cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes.

Living a healthier life is easier said than done, I know that too. However, more effort and will power is needed to turn a lifestyle around - especially the modern day lifestyle.

But we all have to turn it around, at some point in our adult life, if not earlier.

Otherwise we'll just be another statistics.

Find more details fromCancer Research UK.