2 February 2017
5 facts for World Cancer Day
World Cancer Day 4 February 2017
World Cancer Day 2016-2018 is a three year campaign which explores how everyone can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer. With the tagline ‘We can. I can.’ World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what you can do, make a pledge and take action.
To support World Cancer Day 2017, here are our top 5 cancer and asbestos facts:
- Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the World, although in the UK breast cancer is the most common, accounting for a sixth (15%) of all cases combined. (2014)
- There are more than 200 types of cancer, however, these four – breast, prostate, lung and bowel, account for more than half (53%) of all new cases in the UK (2014)
- By addressing risk factors, it is estimated one third of common cancers can be prevented. Leading risk factors are smoking, alcohol, environmental, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and cancer-causing infections.
- The UK has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world with some 17.8 deaths per million of the population.
- There is no known safe threshold of exposure to asbestos fibres. This means that the inhalation of small quantities, even over a short period, can lead to mesothelioma decades after exposure.