Cancer Prevention Blog

A new government TV campaign aims to encourage people to reduce their alcohol consumption.

Evidence shows that many millions of people in the UK drink more than the recommended limits on a regular basis, and many are unaware of the increased health risks. So this is a welcome initiative.

The advert, part of the Government’s healthy lifestyle initiative Change4Life, highlights the health risks associated with drinking too much alcohol, including increasing the risk of cancer. Its message is that … Continue Reading

Fibre can protect against cancer

This week scientists funded by World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) found that eating ten grams of fibre daily lowers women’s risk of breast cancer by five per cent.

And as the effect is cumulative, eating 20 grams would mean a ten per cent lower risk and so on.

The research – part of WCRF/AICR’s Continuous Update Project (CUP) – is one of the largest analyses of literature relating to breast cancer and fibre and was published in the Annals … Continue Reading

Breastfeeding is good for both mother and baby

New research from Cambridge University that babies fed on formula milk cry less than breastfed infants because they are effectively “comfort eating” may not surprise many mums.

Reaching for the bottle can be an easy, and understandable, short-term solution when your child won’t stop crying.

The Cambridge research, highlighted by the BBC and the Guardian among others, shows that breastfed babies cry more, laugh less, and generally have “more challenging temperaments” than their formula-fed contemporaries.

But as the scientist who led … Continue Reading

Exercise and cancer

We’re often asked about the link between exercise and cancer.

But we do not tend to use the term “exercise and cancer” in our publications. Instead, we talk about physical activity rather than exercise.

To some people, this might seem odd. In fact, when we use the term “physical activity” in press releases it is often changed to “exercise” in the resulting news article.

The Guardian’s coverage of our press release about how 10,000 breast and bowel cancer cases … Continue Reading

Last week Maya Monteiro, Senior Education Manager for World Cancer Research Fund, attended a conference hosted by the Irish Cancer Society.

Maya was at the event in Dublin to help the Irish Cancer Society launch Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2011 and to get across the message that many cases of breast cancer can be prevented.

While there, Maya did some media interviews, including this one for a news report by RTÉ News.

Is your weekend activity helping to reduce your cancer risk?

If you spent the bank holiday weekend gardening or doing DIY, you may not realise it but you were helping to reduce your cancer risk.

As well as helping to maintain a healthy weight, there is now strong evidence that physical activity itself can help to protect against a variety of cancers.

What counts as physical activity?

The key is to remember that anything that gets you moving will benefit your health. The more activity you … Continue Reading

Olive oil: does it reduce breast cancer risk?

There is an article in the Sun newspaper today about how breast cancer sufferers can improve their chances of survival.

The article seems to confuse surviving breast cancer with reducing risk of it developing in the first place.

But this aside, it does contain useful advice about how women who are concerned about breast cancer can reduce their risk.

For example, it highlights how maintaining a … Continue Reading

Regular cycling is not just good for the environment it’s also a great way of incorporating physical activity into your daily routine, which is important for cancer prevention.

Cycling, like other forms of physical activity, can help reduce the risk of cancer, including bowel cancer, breast cancer and cancer of the endometrium (womb lining).

We recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day for cancer prevention. As fitness levels rise, this can be increased to further reduce cancer risk.  Being active can also help … Continue Reading

The first day of Cancer Prevention Week saw widespread coverage

This year’s Cancer Prevention Week received a loud media fanfare as it got underway today, with our message on cancer prevention being covered in a wide section of the national press, TV and radio.

We put out a press release advising that about 20,000 cases of breast cancer could be avoided every year if women were to follow our advice to be more … Continue Reading

The Vegan and Vegetarian Foundation (VVF) has suggested that women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by cutting the amount of meat and dairy in their diet.

In its press release, Professor Jane Plant suggests that “high levels of animal fats and proteins” play a role in the development of hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer.

The press release also points to evidence to support its claim, stating: “A recent study carried out by experts from Oxford, Cornell and Beijing universities showed the difference is down to diet.”

This is very different to the conclusion of World Cancer … Continue Reading