40% of cases wouldn’t exist if people had healthier lives

NEARLY 40% of cancer cases could be avoided with lifestyle changes, a study reveals today.

More than 135,500 cases a year, or 2,600 a week, might never develop if we choose healthier lives, says Cancer Research UK.

The latest figures, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found smoking remains the biggest preventable cause of cancer, despite the continued decline in smoking rates.

Being overweight came second, with overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds third.

Other preventable causes include boozing, eating too little fibre and outdoor air pollution.

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Sir Harpal Kumar said: “Leading a healthy life doesn’t guarantee that a person won’t get cancer, but it can stack the odds in your favour.”