Well, that’s annoying.
Smoking causes 20% of cancer cases in the US and nearly 30% of cancer deaths, the American Cancer Society (ACS) warns in new research.
In fact, the organization claims that 4 in 10 cancer cases and nearly half of cancer deaths among American adults aged 30 and older could have been prevented by lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight.
Dr. Farhad Islami, who wrote Thursday’s report, said he was “alarmed” that more than 169,800 Americans died from smoking in 2019.
He calls for tobacco control policies in every state (the ACS believes raising the price of cigarettes through excise taxes works best) and more screening for early detection of lung cancer.
Islami, senior scientific director of ACS’ cancer disparities research, noted an increase in certain cancers linked to obesity, especially among young people, and urged “interventions” to promote healthy body weight.
In 2019, 1.78 million cases of cancer and 595,700 cancer deaths were recorded among Americans aged 30 and older.
The researchers focused on 30 types of cancer to estimate how many cases and deaths were attributable to risky behaviors, including tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, red meat consumption, physical inactivity and UV exposure.
They found that 713,300 cases and 262,100 deaths could have been prevented in 2019.
Smoking was responsible for the largest proportion of cancer cases, contributing to 56% of cancer cases in men, 39.9% in women and 19.3% of all cases.
Overweight came in second place at 7.6%, followed by alcohol (5.4%), UV radiation (4.6%) and physical inactivity (3.1%).
Preventable cancers include cervical cancer (via HPV vaccines), over 80% of skin melanomas, anal cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and bladder cancer.
The ACS findings were published Thursday in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The research follows a June report from the American Heart Association that warned that an estimated 6 in 10 American adults, more than 184 million people, are expected to develop some form of heart disease within the next 30 years due to rising rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.