Newsbites: Cancer screenings; diet and colorectal cancer; daily activity and heart health
Cancer Screening Responsible for Drop in Deaths
Deaths from cancer have been decreasing over time. Treatments have improved—but so have screening and prevention efforts. Researchers set out to determine how much each of these interventions (prevention, screening, and treatment) contributes to the decrease in cancer deaths. They looked at the number of cancer deaths averted from 1975 to 2020 for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. Interventions included smoking reduction for prevention of lung cancer, screening for early detection of breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers, and treatment of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers.
Of the estimated 5.94 million cancer deaths averted for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers combined, the authors concluded that cancer prevention and screening efforts were responsible for 4.75 million (8 of 10 averted deaths).
• Screening and removal of precancerous lesions was responsible for nearly all of the cervical cancer deaths avoided. (There were few advances in treatment during the study period.)
• For colorectal cancer, screening and removal of precancerous polyps or early detection accounted for 79 percent of deaths averted and treatment advances for 21 percent.
• Early detection through screening contributed to 56 percent of prostate cancer deaths avoided.
• Screening and early detection deterred 25 percent of breast cancer deaths.
• Smoking reduction accounted for 98 percent of lung cancers prevented (although there were few effective treatments before 2014 and very few people get screened for lung cancer).
Get screened! Women aged 21 to 29 should have a Pap test every three years and those aged 30 to 65 should have an HPV test alone or along with a Pap test every 5 years (screening over age 65 is only recommended for women at high risk). Adults at average risk for colorectal cancer should be screened every five to 10 years (depending on screening method and risk) from age 45 until at least age 75. Men aged 55 to 69 should discuss the potential benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening with their healthcare provider. Men aged 70 or older should consider their overall health and life expectancy when making a decision. It is recommended women ages 40 to 74 who are at average risk for breast cancer should get a mammogram every 2 years. Current or past smokers ages 50 to 80 should discuss screening for lung cancer with their healthcare provider.
Certain Dietary Traits Are Associated with Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk
Unhealthy dietary patterns can increase risk of colorectal cancer. Now, an analysis has provided evidence of what dietary components are associated with lower risk.
The authors analyzed the typical dietary intake of over 97,000 men and women ages 55 to 74 years. Those who consumed more fiber and unsaturated fatty acids had a lower risk of colorectal cancer than those who consumed less of these nutrients. A dietary pattern high in fiber, carbohydrates, and folate but low in fat (saturated and unsaturated), on the other hand, was not associated with higher or lower colorectal cancer risk.
Fiber is found in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, and seeds. The best source of unsaturated fatty acids is non-tropical plant oils like safflower, canola, and sunflower oils. The study authors specifically suggest a dietary pattern high in plant oils and dark green and other vegetables and low in sugar, beer, and liquor as potentially protective against colorectal cancer.
Any Vigorous Activity May Benefit Women’s Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in both women and men globally. In new research, scientists found that brief bouts of vigorous daily activities (such as mopping, scrubbing, or running for a bus) were associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and heart failure, in women who didn’t usually exercise—even if these bursts of activity lasted less than one minute.
Over 13,000 women and 9,350 men wore accelerometers to measure their activity over the course of seven days. The participants were then followed for close to eight years to record any major adverse cardiovascular events. In women, even a total of 3.4 minutes per day of vigorous normal activity was associated with, on average, a 45 percent lower risk. The more vigorous activity they did, the lower their risk of major cardiovascular events. The effect was not as clear in men, who, the authors suggest, may require some intentional physical activity on top of their normal daily activity to lower their risk of heart attacks, heart failure, and other cardiovascular events.
While one-and-a-quarter hours of vigorous activity (or two-and-a-half hours of moderate activity) a week is best, anything we do that gets our heart rate up is beneficial to our heart health.
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