On February 26, 2009 the American Institute for Cancer Research released an important report, Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention.
This report complemented an earlier report published in 2007 entitled, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Prevention of Cancer – A global Perspective.
These reports, taken together, make a more than convincing case for cancer prevention. They help us all appreciate that cancer prevention is not just about educating the public about how they can make healthy “lifestyle choices”. We know that simply telling people that they should be lean, physically active and eat lots of fruits and veggies does some good, but to really have an impact, we need a comprehensive approach involving such groups as governments, schools, workplaces, industry, health professionals, and the media.
About 30% of cancers in Canada can be attributed to a combination of poor diet, sedentary living and being overweight or obese. Another 30% can be traced to tobacco.
We know that if nothing changes, the predictions for the future are staggering – as much as a 60% increase in the number of new cancer cases over the next 20 years!
But in the Canadian Cancer Society, we absolutely refuse to accept these projections as inevitable. While we will continue to fund leading edge research and find more cures for the some 200 different diseases called cancer, we will also continue to emphasize the important role in cancer prevention.
So, what does the policy report say about how we can make healthy choices, easier choices? Here are a few examples for us here in BC and the Yukon to consider in order for us to address “the causes of the causes” of cancer.
- Governments – Give greater priority to research on, and programmes to improve, public health, including the prevention of cancer and other diseases
- Industry – Ensure accuracy, uniformity, and availability of product information in all advertising and promotion on food labels
- Media – Emphasize news, features, and campaigns designed to promote public health and to prevent cancer, and put health coverage in context
- Schools – Incorporate food and nutrition (including food preparation and cooking skills) and physical education into the mandatory core curriculum.
- Health and other professionals – Include food, nutrition, physical activity, and cancer prevention in core professional training and continuing development.
We recognize that uptake on prevention is easier for some people than others.
We all know, for example, that we need to be more physically active – at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, most days a week. So, for those who can afford it, they might choose to join a gym and work out regularly. If you can’t afford a gym membership, that’s okay – you don’t need a gym. You can just take brisk walks. But what if you live in a neighbourhood where you don’t feel safe walking outside? Your “choices” are more limited.
So, the bottom line is that many cancers are due to preventable factors, and we all have a responsibility to do our part in reducing cancer rates. If we do this with cancer in mind, we will also have a beneficial impact on other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Prevention – the power is ours!
I applaud the Cancer Society for what you’re trying to do. I’m no Cancer expert, but my brother died of Cancer in his early thirties. It started my own investigation into the possible causes of cancer and my own conclusions are also that prevention is the key. Healthy lifestyle choices are a great thing that we can all do, but I also think there’s a big ‘unseen’ factor in our modern society, namely all the man-made chemicals that are floating around in our blood. These chemicals usually come from the household cleaning products that we use, cosmetics, pesticides on food, the chemicals that are already in the blood of the mass produced meat industry, drugs, paint and other house products, textiles etc. The list by now is very long and I challenge anyone who thinks they’re not affected to have their blood tested. Environmental Defence did a random test of some Canadian Families and most people had no idea of the chemicals (non natural) that they are marinating in. Industries’ usual line of ‘defence’ is something like …it has not been proven to be a health risk… but in the face of an ever increasing occurrence per capita of Cancers in Canada I would add …it has definitely not been proven to be healthy either…
To combat this ‘chemical trend’ our family has switched some years ago to organic produce, eco-friendly cleaning products (and minimal use), natural cosmetic products (shampoos, tooth paste etc.), eco-friendly home renovation products (paints etc.) to name a few. In the world of chemicals that we’re submersed in it’s a bit of a minefield, but consumer awareness can change industries very quickly. If we keep buying products laced with a plethora of chemicals, companies will keep producing them.