Cancer kills 157,000 people every year in France. However, 4 out of 10 cancers are preventable, according to the National Cancer Institute. Tobacco, alcohol, diet, sport, sun: here’s how to reduce the risks.
Cancer can affect anyone, including children. “Every year in France nearly 400,000 people are affected by cancer and near 157,000 die from it. Everyone is at risk of developing cancer and can be affected by the disease. Cancer mostly affects adults. However, the disease affects approximately 2,500 children each year and teenagers. That is about 1% of all cancers detected per year”, confirms Julie Gaillot, head of the prevention department at the National Cancer Institute. According to the National Cancer Institute, 40% of cancers would result from exposure to risk factors related to our lifestyles and behaviors ; 4 out of 10 cancers would therefore be preventable.
The risk of being affected depends largely on lifestyle (so-called “internal” factors, linked to lifestyles)but also places to live and work (so-called “external” factors related to the environment). However, some people may be more at risk than others, especially those who have already developed cancer and those whose close family has already had cancer. There are indeed cancer predisposition genes. “Even if cancers can appear at any age, they are more frequent as we age. This is due to the accumulation of aggressions suffered by the cells and, probably, to a lower efficiency of the repair mechanisms of the DNA: On average, 60% of people with cancer are over 65. Breast cancer, for example, most often develops around age 60. Nearly 80% of breast cancers develop after age 50. “, continues Julie Gaillot.
1. Cut down on tobacco
“Tobacco is by far the leading preventable risk factor for cancer, responsible for 20% of diagnosed cancers”, says Julie Gaillot. To reduce the risk of developing cancer, it is therefore advisable not to smoke: “The annual number of tobacco-related deaths in France is estimated at 78,000, including 47,000 from cancer.smoking cessation is always beneficial to health, regardless of the amount consumed and the duration of consumption. The earlier you stop, the faster you reduce your risk of cancer, especially of the lung.”
2. Reduce alcohol
It is also recommended toavoid alcoholwhich is responsible each year for 28,000 new cases of cancer in France and 16,000 deaths. “Consuming it strongly increases the risk of developing certain cancers, in particular of the aerodigestive tract. To effectively reduce this risk, it is recommended to limit not only the quantity of alcohol drunk on each occasion of consumption, but also the frequency of these occasions. .” It is recommended that people who choose to consume alcohol do not exceed two glasses a day with at least two days a week without consumption.
3. Better nutrition
Furthermore, many studies have demonstrated theinfluence of nutritional factors on the risk of developing cancer, even if there are still uncertainties about the exact role of some of them. If there is no anti-cancer food, a balanced and diversified diet, favoring fibers, fruits and vegetables, can reduce your risk of developing cancer. The National Cancer Institute recommends limit red meat (less than 500 g per week), cold cuts, salt but also to prefer foods with low energy density, such as fruits and vegetables to foods that are too high in fat, sugar and/or salt, to consume at least five fruits and vegetables a day, to favor whole foods.
4. Exercise
It is also advisable to move more. “Daily physical activity reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases, including cancers. It is also a way to limit weight gain, another risk factor for cancer.” Practicing a physical activity does not necessarily mean practicing a sport. Physical activity in the broad sense includes all the movements carried out in daily life, those required by professional practice, those of everyday life (gardening, cleaning, etc.), those related to travel (walking, cycling, etc.) or leisure ( walk, game…).
5. Protect yourself from the sun
It is also better protect yourself from UV rays avoiding exposure to the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; by seeking shade; going out covered; by frequently renewing the application of high protection anti-UVA and UVB sunscreen; watching his skin; avoiding artificial UV rays.
“The follow-up consultations during and after the treatment phase with your doctor and the hospital team give you the opportunity to take stock of certain preventive measures. Indeed, certain risk factors for recurrence, or for developing another cancer , can be avoided”, immediately announces Julie Gaillot. Quitting smoking is always beneficial for the prognosis of your cancer, whatever its location. This reduces the side effects of therapies, the risk of a recurrence or a new cancer, as well as other serious illnesses: myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, etc. Quitting smoking also makes it possible to breathe better, to regain greater energy and a better quality of life. Continue to have low alcohol consumption. And to practice a regular physical activity adapted to your possibilities, even if it is not supervised, such as walking which improves your general condition during and after cancer. “The benefits of physical activity coupled with those of a varied and balanced diet are factors to take into account to improve your health in the long term”, concludes Julie Gaillot.
In addition, the Institute explains that it is possible to help your child to limit their risk of developing cancer in adulthood:
- By having a healthy lifestyle during and after pregnancy
- By not smoking in their presence
- By offering them a balanced diet and monitoring their weight gain;
- By encouraging them to practice at least one hour of physical activity per day;
- By protecting them from the sun (cream, hat, t-shirt, glasses)…
“Cancers affecting children are, in the current state of scientific knowledge, unfortunately impossible to prevent. The National Cancer Institute, in conjunction with the ministry in charge of research and associations of parents of children affected by the disease , work to develop research in pediatric oncology”, adds Julie Gaillot.
Thanks to Julie Gaillot, head of the prevention department at the National Cancer Institute.