People are deeply confused about what causes cancer and the most effective means of prevention, with many favouring more fruit rather than cutting down alcohol, a new study said Wednesday.
"Many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate the threat from environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimising the hazards of behaviour," the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) said in a statement.
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It found that in high-income countries like the United States, Britain and Spain, 59 percent of people thought not eating enough fruit and vegetables was a cancer risk, while only 51 percent viewed alcohol intake in the same way.
"The scientific evidence for the protective effect of fruit and vegetables is weaker than the evidence that alcohol intake is harmful," the UICC said.
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"In fact, cancer risk rises as alcohol intake increases," it said.
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Smoking is the most important preventable cause of cancer in the world.
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"Such a misbelief is worrying because it might deter people from participating in cancer screening programmes, which are important for saving lives," the UICC warned.
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Encyclopedia section of medindia gives an introduction to some super foods that help in preventing and controlling cancer
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives an introduction to some super foods that help in preventing and controlling cancer
UICC President-elect David Hill said the survey showed "some big unheard messages".
"We know that people need to be given a reason why they should change. They need to be shown how to change; they need to be given resources or support to change; they need to remember to change," he said.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, killing close to eight million people each year -- more than malaria, AIDS and TB combined, the UICC noted.
By 2030, this will increase to almost 16 million cases and around 11.5 million deaths per year, if current trends continue, it said.
World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan told the opening of the Congress that "the time is right to make cancer control a development priority."
Cancer is no longer an "affluent" disease but affects millions of people in poor and developing countries whose infrastructure struggles to cope with the impact of the disease, she warned.
"Developing countries are now face-to-face with problems that affluent countries confronted decades ago ... but with the shift in the cancer burden, a nation's resource level can no longer be viewed as a barrier to cancer control," she urged.
Source-AFP
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