Cancer Prevention Blog

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

Can walking prevent cancer?

Deciding to walk instead of taking public transport might be something people do to save money, but it could also be helping to prevent cancer.

This is because there is strong scientific evidence that being regularly physically active reduces risk of breast cancer, bowel cancer and cancer of the endometrium (womb lining), as well as helping to maintain a healthy weight, which is also important for cancer prevention.

Sometimes, people think that being regularly physically active … 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.

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

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

World Cancer Day

At World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) we are proud to be supporting World Cancer Day, which is organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

This year, the focus is on the fact that cancer is a preventable disease and the UICC has announced our updated estimates on the proportion of cancers that can be prevented.

The overall finding is that many cases of cancer in the UK and … Continue Reading

Physical activity: Too expensive?

Today we issued a press release about a survey that suggests many people find the financial cost of gyms stops them being more physically active.

Almost one in three people said financial cost was a barrier to being more physically active, with younger people in particular finding that it was putting them off.

The story has been covered by newspapers such as the Daily Mail and The Metro and you can see Dr … Continue Reading

There is an article in the latest edition of Take a Break covering our press release about how many breast cancer cases could be prevented through physical activity.

Scientists estimate that about 5,500 breast cancer cases could be prevented in the UK every year if people did more brisk walking and other forms of moderate activity.

Moderate activity is defined as activity that makes your heart beat a bit faster and makes you breathe more deeply.

You can find out more about the link between physical activity and cancer risk on the WCRF UK website.