Preventing Cancer: Reducing the Risks

Preventing Cancer: Reducing the Risks

Preface

The leading cause of death in the majority of industrialized countries, cancer is one of the most difficult ordeals that many of us will have to face at some point in our lifetime. Not only does cancer threaten our very existence, it also takes away people who are dear to us, depriving us of precious moments spent in the company of family, friends and colleagues who held an important place in our lives. Cancer is truly the “grim reaper” of the 21st century, a mysterious and frightening disease whose destructive potential drains our energy and too often leaves us feeling unable to cope, resigned to its being the brutal, seemingly inevitable, end of life.

Yet there is no need for this feeling of powerlessness: thanks to what is undoubtedly one of the most important discoveries in medical research in recent years, we now know that most cancers are neither a cruel twist of fate nor an unavoidable consequence of aging, but are instead the result of the immense influence of our lifestyle on the likelihood of getting the disease. During the last 10 years, an avalanche of basic and population studies have shown beyond any doubt that the high incidence of several cancers in industrialized countries is closely related to the modern western lifestyle. The emergence and progression of cancer cells are a direct consequence of the major impacts of smoking, excess body weight, sedentary behaviors and diet. The discovery that cancer is so obviously dependent on lifestyle is a major breakthrough in the fight against the disease, as it suggest that nearly three-quarters of cancer cases currently occurring in the population could be prevented simply by changing our everyday habits, a positive impact unlikely ever to be equaled by any treatment, given the complexity of a clinically diagnosed cancer.

Despite its enormous potential, cancer prevention remains the most neglected aspect of efforts devoted to this disease. The society in which we live, focused on consumption, comfort and short-term benefits, is in some ways incompatible with a preventive approach and may even encourage lifestyle habits that run completely counter to the maintenance of good health. In most cases, therefore, prevention is a personal choice, a decision individuals make to become aware of the causes of cancer and to change their habits, so as to reduce the chance of getting the disease.

The objective of this book is to provide the necessary tools to those who want to take their fate into their own hands. Owing to the outstanding work of public health agencies like the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Society, available knowledge on cancer prevention can now be summarized in the form of 10 major recommendations with respect to smoking, body weight, physical exercise, diet and sun exposure. These recommendations, based on the rigorous analysis of several decades of cancer research, are the best weapon at our disposal to reduce dramatically the burden of cancer in our society, and for the first time give survivors of the disease a practical recurrence prevention tool to increase their life expectancy.

Cancer is a daunting enemy, and only by using all available resources, for both prevention and cure, will we really be able to make progress in the fight against this disease and reduce the pain and suffering it leaves in its wake.

The 10 main recommendations for preventing cancer