Diet & Cancer: the link

Cancer is not a single disease, but the generic name for more than 200 diseases, all having in common the uncontrolled reproduction of abnormal cells. Although scientists are only now beginning to understand the causes and growth of cancer, there exists a large and growing body of evidence showing that the foods we choose each day play a major part in cancer prevention.

Scientists have long estimated that a large percentage of our cancer risk is related to our lifestyle choices. The international landmark report on cancer prevention from WCRF/AICR, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, found that about a third of all cancers are directly linked to the foods we eat, the exercise we get and how well we manage our weight. What this means is that we have the potential through our daily food and lifestyle choices to make a major impact on the cancer risk we face in our lives. Click here for ways to reduce your cancer risk .

The cancer prevention opportunities offered by research and education programmes in diet, nutrition and cancer are enormous. It has only been in the last 15 to 20 years that research in diet and cancer has been given more attention and has begun to attract the levels of funding that can bring strong results. Today an increasing understanding of the role of vitamins, minerals, fats, fibre and phytochemicals offers each of us the opportunity to make simple changes for lower cancer risk.

In HK, there are close to 22,000 new cancer cases and 12,000 cancer deaths annually. Programmes, which can produce even a small reduction in cancer rates offer enormous savings - in lives, suffering and medical expenses. World Cancer Research Fund Hong Kong (WCRF HK) has been at the forefront of providing education programmes and materials to help people learn how to make changes for lower cancer risk. Click here for Ways to Reduce Your Cancer Risk and see how many of them you're following for better health and lower cancer risk.

There are no guarantees against cancer. But with overwhelming scientific evidence showing that the vast majority of cancers are directly related to our lifestyle choices (with diet and smoking being the two major influences), there is a great deal that each of us can do to reduce our cancer risk.