Preventative tools exist today that would significantly reduce the incidence rate of cancer. Much of them require lifestyle modifications and regulation, unfor

Preventative tools exist today that would significantly reduce the incidence rate of cancer. Much of them require lifestyle modifications and regulation, unfortunately, which is admittedly very difficult to do. Still, I suspect investment in these areas would likely have a higher return on investment than R&D into broad preventative drugs. (1) Smoking Cessation: Reducing tobacco use has a =huge= positive effect on cancer reduction - an order of magnitude higher than anything else we can do. 1 in ever 5 deaths of males over the age of 30 is due to to tobacco-induced illnesses, and a third of those are cancer [0]. Globally, 31% of men and 6% of women smoke daily. 17% of Americans are daily smokers. Over 1 billion people are projected to die due to tobacco-related illnesses in the 21st century. (2) Obesity: A recent epidemiological study found that 4% of cancer in men and 7% in women was due to obesity. It was as high as 40% for some cancers such as endometrial and esophageal adenocarcinoma [1]. (3) Alcohol/Red & Processed Meat: Consumption of alcoholic beverages is a known human carcinogen. A recent study estimated that 3.5% of all cancer deaths can be attributed to alcohol [2]. A separate study found that 3% of all cancers, including 21% of bowel cancers, was attributed to red & processed meats [3]. (4) Environmental & Occupational Hazards: The WHO estimates 19% of all cancers globally are attributable to environmental factors [4]. This includes air pollution, which likely causes 3% to 14% of all lung cancers, as well as exposure to chemicals in the workplace such as asbestos. [0] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54023/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54023/ [1] http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet#q3 http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/ob... [2] http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet#q2 http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/al... [3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2015-10-27-processed-meat-causes-cancer-warns-who-report/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/... [4] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs350/en/ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs350/en/