THE FOUR RIDERS OF DEATH | Almost half of cancers and tumors are caused by easily avoidable factors

Nearly half of the world’s cancer deaths are linked to avoidable factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, unprotected sex and obesity, scientists write.

Scientists analyzed data from about 10 million people who died from 23 types of cancer in 2019. External factors were the cause of the disease in 4.45 million deaths or 44.4 percent of them.

These are the most common causes of cancer

“This study shows that the burden of cancer remains an important public health challenge that is increasing worldwide,” said Christopher Murray of the University of Washington, a co-author of the study.

The most common causes of cancer are smoking (about 36 percent of cases), alcohol consumption (about 7 percent), sexually transmitted diseases (6.5 percent), and obesity (about 4.2 percent in men and 5.2 percent in women).

Stop smoking! Every cigarette you smoke raises your blood pressure. Quitting smoking helps to return blood pressure to normal and can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve general health.

In 2018, more than 2 million cases of cancer were linked to infections such as Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis and HPV. The study also found that the risk of dying from cancer due to external factors was higher in men (in 50.6 percent of cases) than in women (36.3 percent).

“The main message of this research is clear: a significant number of cancers, probably most of them when it comes to infections, can be prevented,” the scientists write in The Lancet.

The article highlights how cancer prevention also has a financial effect: investing up to $100 million in prevention results in $100 billion in savings in treatment costs.