Nearly 40pc of cancers could be avoided, says new research

MORE than 2,500 people a week would avoid cancer if they made lifestyle changes such as exercising and losing weight, new research suggests.

Nearly 40 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in the UK could be avoided, a report by Cancer Research UK has found.

Smoking is the biggest avoidable cause of cancer, followed by excess weight, overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds, alcohol, eating too little fibre, and air pollution.

Experts presenting the data warned that with smoking rates continuing to fall and the nation’s waistline continuing to expand, obesity could overtake smoking as the biggest killer.

Sir Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK chief executive, said: “Obesity is potentially the new smoking, if we’re not careful. My sense would be it’ll be some time in next couple of decades that we’ll see those two switch around.”

He said the landmark study demonstrates that prevention is the best way of beating the killer disease, adding that the Government could be doing “much more” to help people make healthier choices.

The latest figures, calculated from 2015 cancer data, show more than 135,500 cases a year could be prevented – equating to 37.7 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in the UK every year and rising to 41.5 per cent in Scotland.

The research published in the British Journal of Cancer shows that obesity causes 13 different types of cancer, including breast and bowl, and more than one in 20 cases could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight. Triumphant return The “holy grail of Triumph TR5S” is appearing on the open market for the first time. The first ever model made of the rare TR5 has emerged for sale – and experts are tipping it to sell for as much as £60,000. Only 1,100 TR5S were ever built by the British car maker. Built in 1967, this roadster was created by hand in Canley, Coventry, and used as a UK press test car before disappearing, meaning that many enthusiasts have never known of its existence. Brightwells is selling chassis number CP1 at its April 11 sale in Bicester, Oxon.