40% of cancer cases can be prevented with just these 3 lifestyle changes: Study
Representative image
We all know that smoking and drinking alcohol regularly and being excessively overweight can pose serious health risks. However, new evidence has emerged which proves that 40 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented by cutting out high-risk behaviours and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
According to a study published by the American Cancer Society, smoking, drinking alcohol and being overweight are three leading preventable causes of cancer in adults. The study also encourages public health leaders to educate people about the potential risks of these unhealthy habits.
The study estimated that 40 per cent of the nearly 1.8 million cancer cases in adults aged 30 and older were attributable to "potentially modifiable risk factors" in 2019. It examined 30 types of cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.
The study also talks about vaccines for HPV and hepatitis B, which significantly reduce the risk of cancer-causing infections.
Behaviours that increase cancer risk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
- Excessive smoking
- Exposure to second-hand smoke
- Drinking alcohol
- Eating red meat or processed meat too often
- Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
- Not getting HPV and hepatitis B vaccines
Lung cancer had the highest number of cases linked to preventable risk factors. The study found that 104,410 lung cancers in men and 97,250 in women could have been prevented. The next most common preventable cancers were 50,570 cases of skin melanoma and 44,310 cases of colorectal cancer.
"Even though smoking rates have dropped a lot in the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths caused by smoking in the United States is still very high," said Farad Islami, the American Cancer Society's senior scientific director of cancer disparity research and the study's lead author.
Islami also said that the study highlights the need for strong tobacco control policies in every state to help people quit smoking and for early detection of lung cancer.