Lifestyle Changes Would Lead to Sharp Drop in Colorectal Cancers

Achieving recommended changes in five lifestyle factors could substantially reduce the rate of colorectal cancer in the U.K. population—particularly among men, reports a study in the May issue of The European Journal of Cancer Prevention. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Led by Professor. Donald Maxwell Parkin of Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics, and Statistics, London, the researchers sought to estimate how recommended lifestyle changes could affect the predicted incidence of colorectal cancer in the U.K. over the next 24 years.

'Reasonable' Lifestyle Changes, 'Substantial' Reductions in Colorectal Cancer
Based on published studies, the researchers made projections to estimate how "reasonable" lifestyle changes would affect future rates of colorectal cancer. The five lifestyle factors considered, and the desirable levels recommended in the U.K., were:

• Consumption of red and processed meat - no more than 80 or 90 grams per day.
• Consumption of fruit, vegetables, and fiber - at least five portions per day.
• Exercise - at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days per week.
• Alcohol consumption - no more than 21 units per week for men, 15 units for women.
• Overweight and obesity - reduced to rates of 20 years ago.

The projections showed that, in combination, the lifestyle modifications would lead to a "substantial" reduction in colorectal cancer. The number of cases of colorectal cancer in the U.K. population would decrease by 26 percent overall. This would include 31.5 percent fewer cases of colorectal cancer in men and 18.4 percent fewer cases in women.

Most of the prevented cases would be in older age groups—colorectal cancer most commonly occurs at age 50 or older. However, the proportional reduction in risk would be larger at younger ages.

Colorectal cancer is a major problem in the UK, ranking third in terms of new cancers and second in terms of cancer deaths. Diet and other lifestyle factors have a major impact on colorectal cancer risk.

The new projections suggest that healthy changes in diet, exercise, alcohol use, and body weight could reduce the rate of colorectal cancer in the U.K. by about one-fourth. This is even greater than the reductions likely to be achieved by a proposed national screening program, estimated at 15 percent, Prof. Parkin and colleagues note. They conclude, "the preventive interventions described in this study would save more deaths from other causes (cancer of the breast and upper GI tract, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes) than from colorectal cancer."

About the European Journal of Cancer Prevention