Guidelines Call for Lifestyle Choices With Cancer Prevention Focus
When it comes to overall health, it is often said that the best “medicine” is prevention. But what can a person do to prevent cancer and reduce their personal risk?
Steven K. Clinton, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist who focuses his research on cancer prevention at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), says an increasing body of evidence strongly suggests that diet and exercise are among the most important lifestyle factors that influence cancer risk.
“It is important to remember that when considering all the environmental and lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer risk, tobacco use is number one. Data shows that up to one third of all cancers are linked to tobacco use,” says Clinton. “Next to the air we breathe, the most intimate interaction we have with the environment is the food we consume over the lifetime. Diet and nutrition is very important in defining cancer risk. Taken as a whole, poor habits in diet and nutrition coupled with a lack of exercise and the resulting epidemic of obesity is likely responsible for another third of human cancer,” says Clinton, co-leader of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the OSUCCC – James.
On June 9, 2020, the American Cancer Society issued updated guidelines on diet and physical activity for cancer prevention, noting specific actions for reducing the average person’s lifetime risk of developing or dying from cancer, including maintaining a healthy weight, staying active throughout life, developing and following healthy dietary patterns, and limiting alcohol.
These new updated guidelines reflect the latest evidence published in peer-reviewed medical journals since 2012. Changes to the ACS guidelines emphasize the energy balance and maintenance of the ideal weight along with exercise and fitness based upon the accumulating evidence that obesity is related to risk of cancer and many other chronic illnesses.
“The United States has an obesity epidemic, and our sedentary lifestyles impact cancer risk. We know based on scientific data that 18 different cancers are linked to these factors. The nutritional fuel we give our bodies is critically important to overall health,” says Clinton. “As a society, now is the time to reconsider how we structure our communities to encourage and enable healthful living habits. It is a multifaceted challenge, but it starts with policy change that improve access to healthy foods, safe neighborhoods and making health a priority.”
Most importantly, the ACS recommends a dietary pattern rich in variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts which will increase the fiber intake coupled with a reduction in red and processed meats, alcohol and sugar.