Tobacco and alcohol lead the causes of cancer in the world – Le Figaro

Tobacco is by far the main element having favored cancer (33.9%), followed by alcohol (7.4%), according to the conclusions of a gigantic study published in the Lancet this Friday. Nearly half of global cancers are attributable to a given risk factor, primarily tobacco and alcohol, concludes a gigantic study published Friday, August 19, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures without making them a panacea. “According to our analysis, 44.4% of cancer deaths worldwide (…) are attributable to a risk factor that has been measured”, advances this study, published in the Lancet and carried out as part of the Global Burden of Disease. This vast research program, funded by the Bill Gates Foundation, is of an unparalleled scale, involving several thousand researchers in most countries of the world. This work therefore makes it possible to know in more detail the risk factors according to the regions of the world even if, on the whole, its conclusions confirm what was already known: tobacco is by far the main element having favored cancer (33.9%), followed by alcohol (7.4%) . Above all, these conclusions argue for giving a large place to prevention in public health, since many of these risk factors relate to behaviors that can be changed or avoided. , a good half of cancers are not attributable to a given risk factor, which shows that prevention is not enough. This, according to the authors, must therefore be accompanied by two other pillars: sufficiently early diagnosis and effective treatments. In an independent commentary, published in the same edition of the Lancet, two epidemiologists supported these conclusions, also believing that the study highlights the importance of prevention. These two commentators, Diana Sarfati and Jason Gurney, however, called for not necessarily taking the accuracy of the estimates given at face value, noting that the collection of data is by nature subject to numerous shortcomings in several countries. SEE ALSO – L ‘ANSES confirms a link between the risk of cancer and nitrites, particularly present in charcuterie