World Cancer Day takes place on 4 February and this year’s theme is #CloseTheCareGap. World Cancer Day is an opportunity for all of us to promote access to cancer diagnosis, treatment and healthcare for all.1
Dry January is over, but it might be worth continuing the no-alcohol quest a little longer since alcohol causes no less than seven2 types of cancer.
Most cancers develop from gene changes that happen in a person’s lifetime, but in rarer cases, cancer develops from inherited faulty genes passed down a family tree.
- Someone is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes in the UK.3
- Tobacco is the biggest cause of cancer in the world.4
- 4 in 10 cancer cases in the UK are avoidable.5
There are many conflicting messages out there about what causes cancer and how to know we have it, and the risk of getting cancer varies from person to person.
However, lifestyle choices have a proven effect on preventing cancer, and we’ve gathered our top tips here:
- Eat healthy food.
- If you smoke, take steps to quit.
- Moderate your alcohol intake.
- Stay physically active.
- Protect yourself from harmful sunlight.
- Go for cancer screenings.
For valuable information about different types of cancer, why cancerous cells develop, treatments and actions you can take to help prevent it, download our Guide to Cancer booklet.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions. We’re at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
- World Cancer Day. About us. https://www.worldcancerday.org/our-story. Accessed 24 January 2022.
- Alcohol Awareness. Alcohol causes 7 types of cancer https://alcoholawareness.org/facts/alcohol-causes-7-types-of-cancer/. Accessed 24 January 2022.
- Cancer Research UK. Cancer statistics for the UK https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics-for-the-uk. Accessed 24 January 2022.
- Cancer Research UK. Causes of cancer. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer. Accessed 24 January 2022.
- Cancer Research UK. Causes of cancer and reducing your risk. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer. Accessed 24 January 2022.
