Almost one third of cancers in Ireland could be preventable if people changed their lifestyle.
The National Cancer Registry says smoking is the biggest risk to people getting cancer.
The Registry has produced a new report on modifiable risk factors and #cancer in #Ireland. 29% of cancer incidence in Ireland is attributable to 11 modifiable risk factors, including 13% attributable to smoking. Download the report here: https://t.co/68t06dkHq6
— National Cancer Registry Ireland (@IrishCancerReg) October 6, 2020
Secondhand Smoke Contains Poisons
An analysis by the National Cancer Registry has found 29% of cancers in Ireland are down to 11 modifiable risk factors.
As a result, it says 6,238 cancer cases were potentially preventable in 2016.
Smoking, being overweight or obese, and infections pose the biggest risks.
While altogether they account for 21% of all cancers.
The biggest risks are for smokers and passive smokers.
A current smoker is 9 times more likely to develop lung cancer than a non smoker.
Also 76% of lung cancers in Ireland are attributable to smoking.
So that includes passive smoking in the home.
The HSE defines passive (or second-hand) smoking as, "the smoke you breathe out, and the smoke from the lit end of the cigarette."
In the Health Service's Quit Smoking advice, it says that this smoke, "contains over 4,000 chemicals."
"Including arsenic and cyanide (which are both poisons), and benzene, which can cause leukemia."
are encouraging staff who smoke to take the Quit 28-day stop smoking challenge this October and reduce your risk of coronavirus. October is Quit Month.
Read about the many different ways to get help to quit. https://t.co/ZNgKWlkGq5#OurHealthService pic.twitter.com/mNFwMOqIWc— HSE HR (@HSE_HR) October 5, 2020
Over 6,000 Preventable Cancer Cases In 2016
Four years ago almost 2,800 cancer cases were attributed to smoking.
Also being overweight or obese was next with 1,000 cases.
While 500 cancer cases diagnosed were associated with a person's alcohol intake.
It's feared that from 2025 to 2035, these risks could be responsible for more than 66,000 cancer cases.
The National Cancer Registry says these projections must be considered by policymakers and there needs to be an effort to ensure that the projected increases are not realised.
