Fed: One in three cancer deaths could be prevented

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2001
Fed: One in three cancer deaths could be prevented

At least one in three cancer cases could be prevented by better diet, quitting smoking,
more exercise and less sun exposure, according to Cancer Council Australia.

The council says the number of cancer deaths could be almost halved if prevention programs
were put in place.

Council chief executive officer ALAN COATES says if people applied all the current
knowledge about cancer prevention, cancer would not be the number one killer of Australians
as it is today.

Each year more than 15,000 cancer deaths are caused by smoking, sun exposure, poor
diet, alcohol, inadequate exercise or being overweight.

The Cancer Council has put together strategies - The National Cancer Prevention Policy
- to help Australians cut down their cancer risk factors.

Author of the strategies ANDREW PENMAN says reducing smoking would be the single most
effective way of preventing cancer.

Dr PENMAN says one in eight cancer cases and more than one in five cancer deaths -
almost 7,000 deaths every year - is caused by cigarette smoking.

Professor COATES says for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer early detection is
the best chance of prevention death.

AAP RTV eg/daw/mjm/jn

KEYWORD: CANCER (CANBERRA)

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