Cancer Rates on the Rise - says new report by WHO

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has today published a new “World Cancer Report 2014” to coincide with World Cancer Day. The report highlights the growing rates of cancer around the world and advises that stronger efforts on prevention are needed to tackle this problem.

The IARC estimates that the global burden of cancer will rise from around 14 million new cases per year in 2012 to 22 million within the next 20 years

The report identifies that due to growing ageing populations, developing countries are disproportionally affected by growing rates of cancer. It is believed that over 60 percent of the global burden is in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, were 70 percent of cancer sufferers die. A lack of early detection and treatment are a particular concern.

The report argues that half of all cancers could be avoided, if measures to prevent the disease are put in place. 

There is now a wealth of information on cancer available as well as more effective and efficient ways to treat the disease. However, more is needed to ensure early detection and fair access to treatment.      

Dr. Christopher Wild, report co-editor and director of the IARC, says:

"Despite exciting advances, this Report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally."

Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide and therefore a huge global public health issue. Statistics reveal that in 2012 there were 8.2 million deaths to cancer, with lung cancer being the highest (1.59 million deaths), followed by liver (745,000 deaths), colorectal (bowel) (694,000 deaths) and breast (521,000) to name a few.

In addition, the costs associated with cancer can be very damaging to even the richest nations and very hard hitting for the poorer ones.

In 2010, the total global annual cost of cancer reached an estimated US$1.16 trillion

The report advocates that half of all cancers could be avoided, saving millions of lives a year, if detection is made early enough and if we implement the knowledge that we already know. This also includes individuals being aware of high risk behaviour and consequently taking steps to limit their chance of developing cancer.    

Currently, tobacco use has the single biggest impact, with 22 percent of global cancer deaths and over 70 percent of global lung cancer deaths

It is estimated that around 30 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented if certain health risk factors are avoided and or reduced. These namely include, stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, preventing being overweight, eating healthily and increasing levels of physical activity.

For information on understanding the importance of health and how to help and support others to make healthier changes, visit http://www.rsph.org.uk/en/training-solutions/index.cfm to view a list of our training programmes.   

The World Heart Federation calls on all countries to set a target year to end tobacco use

At the Tobacco End Game Conference in New Delhi, India this week the World Heart Federation (WHF) signalled to all countries worldwide to set a target year to end tobacco use in their country. Ending tobacco use implies reducing population smoking levels to five percent or below.

Some countries have already taken the lead and have announced their “target year” to reduce tobacco consumption. These include Finland (2030), Scotland (2034), New Zealand (2025) as well as a few Pacific Island States (2025).  

The Risks

Previous Blogs, “Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer” and “Smoking – a big turn off”  have highlighted the negative impacts of smoking on health, and the evidence continues to affirm that tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for heart disease and is the cause of millions of premature deaths each year worldwide.

Smoking is estimated to cause nearly ten percent of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is also the second leading cause of CVD after high blood pressure. Further more, it is not just smokers who bear the consequences of tobacco smoke, passive smokers are also placed under unnecessary risk.

Figures indicate that nearly six million people die from tobacco use or exposure to second hand smoke worldwide, every year. By 2030 is it believed that tobacco-related deaths will increase to over eight million deaths a year.

With strong evidence available to the public on the adverse effects of smoking and the efforts to promote these facts, the statistics on tobacco related deaths remain shocking!  

Thus, important questions arise about what else we need to be doing to reduce smoking in adults and prevent children from starting.

Could further changes in marketing be the answer?

Over the past decades the UK has witnessed some significant changes to how tobacco is advertised and this began in the early 1990’s but took greater affect after the millennium.  The 1990 and 1996 Broadcasting Acts prohibited tobacco marketing on broadcast media (television and radio). However, it was the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 (TAPA) that banned most forms of tobacco advertising. This included a ban on print media and billboard advertising (2003) and advertising at the point of sale (2004).

As the UK is a Party of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) they were bound by agreement to implement the framework into national policy.  The drive to improve population health coupled with the requirement to integrate further restrictions on tobacco advertising, saw a new national tobacco control strategy emerge in 2008 by the Labour Government and later reinforced by the Coalition Government in 2011. The consultation included a ban on the display of tobacco in shops and a ban on tobacco vending machines (2011) both of which were included in the Health Bill.

Since April 2012 it has become illegal to display tobacco products at the point of sale in large stores and this ban will come into force in smaller stores from 2015. Although in 2010 the Coalition government agreed to review the evidence for plain packaging as part of its national strategy, this has still not come into affect, despite pressing evidence that branding of tobacco packets and higher consumption rates exists. Read the RSPH press release here on our disappointment of not introducing standardised packaging on tobacco products.

“Research shows that Point of Sale (PoS) display has a direct impact on young people’s smoking. In 2006, almost half (46%) of UK teenagers were aware of tobacco display at PoS and those professing an intention to smoke were more likely to recall brands that they had seen at the point of sale.”

Tobacco companies invest large amounts of resources in branding their products and making them appear as attractive as possible. They know that brand imagery is much more important to younger age groups, thus standardised packaging would reduce brand appeal and reduce the inclination to smoke.

Next Steps

Clearly, measures have been made to reduce smoking in the UK, tighter restrictions on tobacco advertisement and the implementation of the smoking ban in public spaces 2007/2008 have sought to reduce appeal for smoking. However, there remains more to be done to ensure we are able to align ourselves with the World Heart Federations’ aim to reduce tobacco use below 5% and prevent thousands of avoidable deaths a year (in England the current ambition is to reduce smoking prevalence to 18.5% or less by 2015; to 12% or less among 15 year olds by 2015). 

The World Heart Federation President Professor K Srinath Reddy said: "There is no hiding from the deadly effects of tobacco on heart health....There are many countries across all incomes making great strides in tobacco control and it should be possible for each of these nations to further bolster their tobacco control efforts by setting themselves a target year for reducing tobacco use below 5%. So the World Heart Federation would hope to see these countries, followed by those around the world, following the brave lead set by the countries that have announced target dates."

Visit RSPH Training Solutions to see programmes and courses that can give you the confidence and skills to help people make key lifestyle choices to improve their health.

For further information on UK regulations click here to read the ASH Briefing: UK Tobacco Control Policy and Expenditure.

For more information on the negative effects of tobacco use and how to quit please click here and NHS Choices website. 

Rises in Cancer Rates: 17,000 more middle-aged people are diagnosed with cancer every year, compared to a generation ago

Yesterday's news articles reported the subsequent rises in cancer rates over the past two decades.  The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Sun, pointed out that cancer rates in the middle-aged have increased “by almost a fifth in a generation”.  The articles highlighted that the rise was mainly a result of better detection of cancer, but also the rise in obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) – The Findings

Figures from Cancer Research UK compared the rates of cancer in Great Britain in 1979 and 2008.  The statistics found that new cancer diagnoses increased by 16 percent in men and 34 percent in women in Great Britain between the 1977-1979 and 2006-2008 reporting periods.  This equated to a rise from 368.3 to 416.7 cases per 100,000 men and from 273.9 to 365.7 cases per 100,000 women.

The increases in cancer rates between 1979 and 2008 varied across age groups, however, the main focus was the rates of cancer in middle-aged individuals (40-59 years old) which saw new diagnoses rise from 329.1 per 100,000 in 1979 to 388.1 per 100,000 in 2008.  It was reported that in 1979 44,000 people in this age group were diagnosed with cancer in Britain and this figure rose to 61,000 in 2008.

The statistics revealed that among 40-59 year olds, prostate cancer rates have risen six fold in 30 years and breast cancer rates have increased by 50 percent.  In comparison, cases of lung cancer in men of this age have dropped from 6,300 to around 2,700 in the same period.  For a break down of all the cancer figures, please visit the Cancer Research UK website by clicking here.

Despite the upward trend, CRUK say that the number of people surviving cancer has almost doubled since the 1970s.  In 1979 in Great Britain there were 215.2 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people, which decreased to 174.4 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people in 2008. 

Why the Increase?  

Although the exact causes for the increases were not directly investigated, CRUK claim that the rises could be contributed to higher detection due to the NHS breast cancer screening programme and the PSA test for prostate cancer.  However, it has also been suggested that these rises are due to modern changes in lifestyle, with people eating more unhealthily and living a sedentary lifestyle, compared to people in the past decades.

Evidence demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors do influence risk of cancer and that smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol consumption can be hazardous for our health and may increase the possibility of cancer. 

Therefore, by taking responsibility for our health, by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, not smoking and reducing our alcohol consumption we can help to limit the risk of cancer.  For further information on cancer prevention, please visit the NHS Choices website by clicking here.

Make Friday Fruity

Fruity Friday, is a fundraising campaign launched by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK) to increase public awareness of the links between diet, nutrition and cancer prevention.  The annual event also aims to raise valuable funds for cancer research and education programmes of cancer prevention. 

Fruity Friday coincides with WCRF UK’s annual Cancer Prevention Week which is being held between 9^th and 15^th of May 2011.  The purpose of Cancer Prevention Week is to promote the message that cancer is a largely preventable disease.  It has been shown that around a third of the most common cancers could be prevented if people adopted healthy lifestyle choices, including eating healthily, being more physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. 

The Cancer Stats – Worldwide and UK

Data reports from Cancer Research UK shows that globally, an estimated 12.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2008.

An estimated 4.2 million men died from cancer worldwide in 2008. Lung cancer is by far the biggest killer, accounting for almost one in four (23%) cancer deaths in men.

Liver and stomach cancers are also big cancer killers in men worldwide (11% each).

Similarly around 3.3 million women died from cancer worldwide in 2008. Breast and lung cancers are the most common killers, accounting for 14% and 13% of deaths, respectively.

Evidence from the Latest UK Cancer Incidence Year and Mortality Year Summary shows that in the UK, 309,527 cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2008.  Of these cancer cases 155,326 were men and 154,201 were women.  In 2008 there were 156,594 cancer deaths, of which 81,403 were men and 74,829 were women.  The UK incidence rate is slightly higher than the average in the more developed regions of the world, and more than 75% higher than the average in the less developed regions.

Recommendations

Overall, scientists have estimated that about third (39%) of the 12 most common types of cancer cases in the UK could be prevented if people made healthier lifestyle choices. 

The evidence comes from WCRF The Expert Report which was published in 2007, having taken six years to produce, it is renowned as the most comprehensive report ever produced on the link between lifestyle and cancer risk.  The research outlined in the report was the basis used to develop the 10 recommendations for cancer prevention that people can incorporate into their daily lives.

Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses is one way to help prevent cancer.  Scientific research shows that these types of food may protect against cancer because they contain vitamins and minerals which help keep the body healthy and strengthen our immune system.  They are also good sources of substances like phytochemicals which are biologically active compounds that can help to protect cells in the body from damage that can lead to cancer. 

Further recommendations also include being physically active for at least thirty minutes a day, limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding smoking.  For a full list of the recommendations to help prevent cancer please click here. 

RSPH and Health Promotion – What You Can Do?

At RSPH Training Solutions we take health seriously and we believe that through education and training, people can learn to make better lifestyle choices and positively influence people around them.  We are currently running a 5 day Level 2 Award in Health Promotion programme, which has specifically been developed to meet the increasing needs of a wide range of individuals to acquire fundamental knowledge and skills in health promotion.  The Award provides candidates with an opportunity to work and train within a multi-disciplinary group, exploring and examining basic theory in relation to the concepts, influences and determinants of health.  For further information please contact Nicolette Boustaoui or by phone on: 0203 177 1625. 

Shish' of a Time? The Health Implications of Waterpipe Smoking

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease” Buddha

Smoking through a waterpipe, otherwise referred to as shisha, attracted attention in this weeks BBC health news: 'Shisha pipe smoking among young 'rising in Leicester'. The article expressed concern over the recent increase in Shisha users and once again challenged the misconception that Shisha smoking is safer than cigarettes. There is clearly a need for more to be done to get the health message across that smoking, in any form, is dangerous.

Over the past two decades tobacco smoking using waterpipes has become a massively popular and fashionable pastime among younger people. An activity normally shared with friends in homes, restaurants and cafes, shisha smoking has become socially accepted and widely regarded as a relaxing and an enjoyable experience. However, the rise in shisha smokers gives cause for concern because of the multiple associated health risks, of which people are either unaware or choose to ignore.  A report conducted in 2006 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) entitled, "Tobacco use in Shisha: Studies on waterpipe smoking in Egypt", claims that waterpipe smoking represents both a "modern renaissance of an old public health threat and the emergence of a new tobacco epidemic". 

Tobacco consumption has been linked to a high death rate worldwide (5 million deaths each year) and is considered to be the second major cause of death in the world that is completely preventable. With this statistic in mind, it raises the question; why do so many continue to smoke? 

The studies carried about by the WHO examining the effects of waterpipe smoking have all concluded that it is hazardous for our health. However, its growing popularity as a social, glamorous and harmless activity means much of the research has been overshadowed by people's misconceptions. Shisha smokers are thus left ill-informed and ignorant of the risks.

Dr Alan Shidaheh of the American University in Beirut says; "The historical lack of evidence has unfortunately allowed many Shisha users to believe that the practice was safe, or at least safer than other forms of tobacco use. We have recently learned otherwise.”

The History

The 2005 WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation "Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended Actions" found that shisha has been smoked by people in Africa and Asia for at least four centuries. It is believed that a waterpipe was invented in India by a physician named Hakim Abul Fath who suggested that tobacco would be rendered less harmful if smoke was passed through a small receptacle of water. Thus, this widespread and unsubstantiated belief held by shisha users today - that the practice is safe - is as old as the waterpipe itself. 

Since the 1990s waterpipe smoking has become increasingly popular and is no longer dominated by older males in Middle Eastern countries.  Shisha smoking appears to have spread to new populations such as college students and young persons in the United States, UK and other European countries. 

Health Awareness - Battling the misconception

Although waterpipe smoking has not been studied as intensively as cigarette smoking, the preliminary research claims that it is associated with many of the same risks as cigarettes, and may in fact involve unique health risks.

The evidence affirms that the smoke that emerges from a waterpipe contains numerous toxicants which are responsible for causing oral cavity cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis and respiratory diseases. 

Waterpipe smoking, compared to cigarettes, is characterised by less frequent exposure (one to four sessions per day) but with a much more intense exposure per session, which can typically vary between 15 and 90 minutes. The uptake of tobacco nicotine is equivalent to 2-12 cigarettes per portion of tobacco used (hagar) and one person usually smokes several hagar per session. This translates into a nicotine intake equivalent to more than one pack of cigarettes per session. However, the waterpipe produces more smoke than cigarette smoking and thus overall smoke exposure could be as much as 100-200 cigarettes per session.

In addition, the temperature of burning tobacco in waterpipes is much lower than that in cigarettes, and the force needed to pull air through the high resistance of the water pathway, causes the smoke to be inhaled very deeply into the lungs. This is likely to cause patterns of cell injury in the oral and respiratory tracts. Smoking has also been shown to cause an accelerated decline in lung function.    

While it has been noted that the water does absorb some of the nicotine, waterpipe smokers can be exposed to a sufficient dose of this drug to cause addiction. Nicotine level intake in a standard session is similar to a single cigarette, yet the tar intake is 20 times greater. It is likely that the reduced concentration of nicotine in waterpipe smoke may result in smokers inhaling higher amounts of smoke and thus exposing themselves to higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals, alongside higher levels of arsenic, chromium and lead, as well as hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide.   

Professor Mostafa Mohamed, Professor of Community Medicine in Cairo and author of the 2006 WHO report stated that, “Heat sources that are commonly used in Shisha pipes to burn the tobacco are likely to increase the health risks because when they burn they produce their own toxins".

The report also points out that waterpipe smokers are exposed to a large number of genotoxicants via ingestion, respiration or absorption through the skin. Tobacco has been linked to mutations in the p53 tumour suppressor gene which leads to uncontrolled cell division and is found in over 50% of all human tumours.   

The study found that people who were waterpipe smokers were significantly more prone to develop hypertension and have higher blood pressure than non-smokers. The report also identified that waterpipe smokers are prone to repeated infections due to lowered immunity, and the habit of sharing waterpipes heightened the chance of contracting communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. There was ample evidence which showed that people who smoked were more likely to experience sleep disturbance. Thus the perception that smoking will help them relax and elevate their mood is, in fact, incorrect. 

The report highlighted that although further research needs to be done, there is strong viable evidence that exposure to waterpipe smoking is as harmful as the exposure to cigarette smoking, if not more so. 

Professor Mohamed affirmed that "Waterpipe smoking is growing epidemic. Any intervention programme to prevent this new threat must disabuse the public notion that waterpipes are less risky than cigarettes."  

What can we do?  

Changing our behaviour and habits is hard. Many people are reluctant to give up something they enjoy, particularly if its a social activity with friends. Hence it is easier to ignore the facts and live for the "now" rather than thinking about the consequences of our actions or wrongfully assuming that "it won't happen to me". 

We have to remember that our health is paramount and making sensible choices now can prevent unnecessary suffering later. 

Both the studies by the WHO point out that despite the strong evidence of health risks associated with waterpipe smoking, there remains few published studies on its negative effects. This has created an ambivalent and misguided picture of Shisha smoking.  More needs to be done to ensure people are educated about the dangers so that its reputation as a harmless and glamorous pastime gets demoted to unfashionable and unsafe!   

  

Education of health professionals, regulators and the public at large is urgently needed to make information more available. The WHO researchers stressed, “Waterpipes should be subjected to the same regulations as cigarettes and other tobacco products and should contain health warnings". 

RSPH  

The Royal Society for Public Health offer a course on Understanding Health Improvement Level 2 designed to provide knowledge and understanding of the benefits of good health and well being, and of the barriers to making a change of lifestyle.  For further information please contact Gina Mohajer. 

       

Women Smoking their way to Lung Cancer

This week is particularly important for public health for two reasons;  firstly, today is International Women's Day and secondly, tomorrow, Wednesday 9th March, is National No Smoking Day.  Consequently, many charities are using this opportunity to flag up important health issues, so as to raise awareness and discuss ways of overcoming them. 

Yesterday, Cancer Research UK (CRUK) revealed their latest figures showing that rates of lung cancer have more than doubled for women over the age of 60 since the 1970's.   The statistics show a notable rise from 88 per 100,000 in 1975 to 190 per 100,000 in 2008.  For women over the age of 80 the picture is even more alarming, with lung cancer rates tripling from 84 per 100,000 in 1975 to 273 cases diagnosed for every 100,000 women in 2008. 
 
Although lung cancer for men is still considerably high, the data demonstrates that there has been a slight decrease in recent years and CRUK believe this is a result of changes in smoking patterns.  While the proportion of male smokers peaked before 1960, women smokers on the other hand, increased during the 1960's and 1970's, which would now effect those over the age of 60.  Overall, the number of women diagnosed with lung cancer has risen from 7,800 cases in 1975 to more than 17,500 in 2008.  Whereas in 1975 the rates for men over 60 fell from 23,400 to 19,400 in 2008. 

Lung Cancer: The Facts

• Lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the UK after breast cancer.
• Around 41, 000 were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008 - equivalent to 112 people every day.
• In the 1950s, for every lung cancer case diagnosed in women in the UK, there were 6 in men.  That ratio is now 3 cases in women for every 4 in men.
• More than 8 out of 10 cases of lung cancer occur in people over 60 years of age.
• Rates of lung cancer in Scotland are among the highest in the world, reflecting their history of high smoking prevalence.
• Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world with an estimated 1.61 million new cases diagnosed in 2008.
• In the UK it is the most common cause of cancer death - accounting for more than 1 in 5 deaths.
• Around 35,000 people died from lung cancer in the UK in 2008 - which is 95 people every day.

What Causes Lung Cancer

• The link between tobacco and cancer was established more than 50 years.
• Smoking causes almost 90% of lung cancer deaths.
• It is estimated that exposure to passive smoke in the home causes around 11,000 deaths every year.
• A small proportion of lung cancer cases are caused by heavy exposure to industrial carcinogens and air pollutants, including diesel exhaust, asbestos and non-ferrous metals.

For further information visit the CRUK official website by clicking here.

Nonetheless, CRUK do point out that successful anti-smoking measures - such as the tobacco advertising ban and the legislation making public places smoke free - have meant the number of smokers has continued to drop.
Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: “These figures highlight how important tobacco control measures are in helping people to stop smoking. With the lung cancer rate rising among women we would like the government to introduce a comprehensive and well funded tobacco control strategy that targets at risk groups and stops young people from beginning an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers”
“Around nine in ten cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking and one in five people still smoke, so it’s vital that work continues to support smokers to quit and protect young people from being recruited into an addiction that kills half of all long term smokers. In particular we want displays in shops covered up so that young people are no longer being exposed to this form of tobacco marketing.”

What Can You Do?
Get Involved and Help Raise Awareness for Women's Health!
In aid of International Women’s Day this year, the Royal Society for Public Health is running a "Women's Health and Well Being" programme on 12th May.  The event will seek to raise awareness of interrelationship between lifestyle and health, while educating participants about the steps they can take to empower women to improve their physical and mental health.  For further information or to download our flyer please click here or please contact Nicolette Smith 020 3177 1625. 

Smoking - The Main Reason Why Men Die Sooner Than Women

In a report published by Tobacco Control "Contribution of smoking-related and alcohol related deaths to the gender gap in mortality: Evidence from 30 European countries" found that smoking continues to be the most important cause for gender differences in mortality across Europe.  

Since the 1990's emerging evidence has revealed that women outlive men in all countries of the world.  Historical records demonstrate that in England, Wales and some of the Nordic countries, the life expectancy of women has exceeded that of men since the mid to late 18th Century.  Currently in the UK women are estimated to live four years longer than men.  There has been a great deal of speculation as to why this appears to be the case.  Many expects claim that simple biology or the fact that women seek medical help more readily than men are the reasons for the disparity in life expectancy.

However, as the report discovers, smoking is the main cause followed by alcohol, which accounts for 20 percent of the difference. 

The report which studied the data extracted from the World Health Organization database, looked at thirty European countries.  It found that in all countries death from all causes were higher for men than for women.  However, the report also noted that there continues to be a considerable variation in the extent of gender difference in contemporary Europe.  The gender gap in all-cause death rates varied from 188 excess deaths per 100,000 in Iceland and the UK, to over 800 in Ukraine and Lithuania.    

Despite the variations, the researchers discovered that smoking-related deaths alone contributed to around 40 to 60 percent of the gender gap in all countries, excluding Denmark, France and Portugal where it is considerably lower, and Malta where it is higher at over 70 percent. 
The data demonstrated that in the UK, smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease caused 60 percent of the excess male deaths. 

The researchers highlighted that, "It is no surprise that two of the most important health behaviours, smoking and hazardous drinking continue to account for substantial proportions of the gender gap in mortality because health behaviours have long been a powerful way of portraying gendered identities." 

Thus the report makes clear that there is an "ongoing need for public health measures to reduce health damaging behaviours". 

Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "It is never too late to give up smoking so it's important we invest in support services to help people quit the habit as well as ensuring our young people don't start smoking in the first place.”

Men's Health Week 13 - 19 June
-To Raise awareness of preventable health problems among men and boys -

In light of Men's Health Week this year, the RSPH will be hosting a one day Men's Health course on May 13th.  The purpose of the event is to facilitate men’s access to information, empower them to be more aware and access health leisure services, in order to improve key lifestyle behaviours.
For further information or to book onto the course please contact Nicolette Smith.

Are We Eating Enough Variety of Fruit and Veg?

We are often being reminded of the many health benefits derived from eating our five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, especially in helping to prevent cancer.  However, The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study has revealed that in relation to lung cancer, the important thing is not just the quantity but also the variety of fruit.  By consuming a wider variety fruits and vegetables, we can reduce the risk of lung cancer by 23%.    

The EPIC study involves 23 centres from 10 European countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Holland, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and Sweden, working with a sample of 500,000 European subjects (41,000 of whom live in the Spanish regions of Asturias, Granada, Guipúzcoa, Murcia and Navarre).  The results of the study, which have been published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, demonstrates that eating "more than eight sub-groups" of vegetables cuts this risk by 23% compared with eating "less than four sub-groups". In addition, this risk falls by a further 4% for each unit added to the diet from another sub-group.  This link was found only in smokers. 

Lung cancer is considered to be the most common type of cancer in the developed countries.  Statistics from Cancer Research UK indicate that lung cancer is also the most common cause of death from cancer for both men and women.  Thus, despite the encouraging evidence produced by the study,  Sánchez Pérez, director of the Granada Cancer Registry at the Andalusian School of Public Health, concludes that "the most effective way of preventing it (lung cancer) continues to be reducing the prevalence of tobacco consumption among the populace".