23 Surprising Facts About Cancer Everyone Should Know

23 Surprising Facts About Cancer Everyone Should Know
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#1: Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, and

most cases are preventable.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK247164/

#2: From 1991 to 2018, the USA annual cancer death rate has actually fallen 31% – surprising to learn! However it is still very high. ACS researchers estimate that in the US in 2021, almost 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed and more than 600,000 people will die from cancer.

Source: https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/facts-and-figures-2021.html

#3: A study conducted in China among women from ages 20 to 87 showed that an increased intake of both mushrooms and green tea significantly lowered breast cancer risk and had a reducing effect on the malignancy, or progression of the cancer. The younger the women started including both mushrooms and green tea in their diet, the significantly lower their breast cancer risk was found to be.

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.24047/full

#4: In 2010 The President’s Cancer Panel warned that up to 80 percent of the U.S. cancer cases currently striking 48 percent of men, 38 percent of women, and increasing numbers of children are directly caused by poisons in our environment and food.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/opinion/06kristof.html

#5: A human study published in 2015 has found that high consumption of walnuts, peanuts and almonds in the diet reduced incidence of breast cancer by a factor of 2 to 3.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26183374

#6: In 2014, scientists found that brain cancer mortality was lower by a striking 42.5 percent for people who engaged in walking exercises compared to those who didn’t or scarcely exercised.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24091993/

#7: Tobacco use is the single most important risk factor for cancer and is responsible for approximately 22% of cancer-related deaths globally.

Source: https://who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

#8: A 2016 study summarizing worldwide estimates of the fractions of different cancers attributable to overweight/obesity reported that, compared with other countries, the United States had the highest fractions attributable to overweight/obesity for colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and postmenopausal breast cancer.

Source: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet

#9: Sedentary behavior, such as prolonged periods of television viewing, sitting, and lying down, is a risk factor for developing chronic conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, and for premature death.

Source: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet

#10: Leukemia accounts for almost a third (29%) of all childhood cancers, followed by brain and other nervous system tumors (26%).

Source: https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/facts-and-figures-2018-rate-of-deaths-from-cancer-continues-decline.html

#11: As part of its guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention, the American Cancer Society recommends that people who drink alcohol limit their intake to no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink a day for women.

Source: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/alcohol-use-and-cancer.html

#12: High-energy radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons, can damage DNA and cause cancer.

Source: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation

#13: Aflatoxin B1, a frequent food contaminant, causes liver cancer.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer#Diet_and_exercise

#14: Viral infections are risk factors for cervical cancer, 80% of liver cancers, and 15-20% of the other cancers.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_causes_of_cancer

#15: There is an association between celiac disease and an increased risk of all cancers. People with untreated celiac disease have a higher risk, but this risk decreases with time after diagnosis and strict treatment, probably due to the adoption of a gluten-free diet, which seems to have a protective role against development of malignancy in people with celiac disease.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer#Autoimmune_diseases

#16: Indoor tanning is a major public health problem, accounting for nearly half a million new cancer diagnoses each year.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4117411/

#17: Studies in recent years have identified a relationship between lack of sleep and some of the most dangerous cancers in the United States: breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. In addition, research suggests that people who have sleep apnea have an increased risk of developing any type of cancer.

Source: https://www.cancercenter.com/community/newsletter/article/researchers-are-studying-the-link-between-sleep-and-cancer/

#18: The World Cancer Research Fund recommends eating no more than about 16 ounces of cooked red and/or processed meat per week. For reference, about 3 ounces of cooked meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards.

Source: https://www.cancercenter.com/discussions/blog/the-link-between-sodium-nitrites-and-cancer/

#19: The vast majority of cancer cases are due to environmental risk factors. Many of these environmental factors are controllable lifestyle choices. Thus, cancer is generally preventable.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer#Prevention

#20: After age 20, the risk of getting a chondrosarcoma (the second most common primary bone cancer) goes up until about age 75. Women get this cancer as often as men.

Source: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/about/what-is-bone-cancer.html

#21: New research has found that inflammation in your mouth (often caused by poor oral health) could significantly increase the risk of developing cancer at a later stage by up to 14%.

Source: https://goodhousekeeping.co.uk/health/oral-hygiene-cancer

#22: Vitamin E is an antioxidant that’s been touted to prevent lung cancer. However, in excess amounts, vitamin E can actually become an ANTI-anti-oxidant and damage DNA, which can lead to cancer growth.

Source: https://www.doctoroz.com/article/five-wrong-turns-can-lead-cancer

#23: Women who are older than 30 when they give birth to their first child have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who have never given birth.

Source: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/reproductive-history-fact-sheet

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