Cancer Prevention Blog

A safe cycling policy has a positive affect on reducing cancer risk

The Times is running a campaign calling for cities to be made safe for cyclists. This is a campaign WCRF wholeheartedly supports because it will promote cycling as a form of transport and physical activity.

Our 2009 Policy Report – which sets out changes that can be made at all levels of society to reduce the number of cancer cases – notes that the built environment profoundly affects lifestyles, most obviously in terms of physical activity.

Levels … Continue Reading

Keeping lean helps reduce cancer risk

At the heart of World Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) message are our 10 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention.

These came about from the Second Expert Report – published in 2007 – and were developed by a panel of 21 international experts looking at nearly 7,000 research studies from all over the world.

Certain foods, drinks and lifestyle factors were judged and the panel came to a conclusion about whether a particular factor was linked to cancer, as well as the strength … Continue Reading

WCRF UK attended the BACC in Westminster

Last week I attended the Britain Against Cancer Conference in London. For WCRF UK this was a really important event and was a key opportunity to highlight the role of food, nutrition and physical activity in cancer prevention.

Macmillan Cancer Support organised this conference on behalf of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer, with the support of MPs and Members of the House of Lords. It was hugely successful in getting all the key cancer organisations, health professionals … 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

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

There is a story in the news today about how Macmillan Cancer Support is calling for higher physical activity levels for cancer survivors.

Dr Rachel Thompson, Deputy Head of Science for World Cancer Research Fund, has given the following response:

“We welcome the advice that people who have had cancer should try to be more physically active, as well as eat a healthy, plant-based diet and maintain a healthy weight.

“But while there is some evidence this will reduce their risk of cancer recurring, this is still an emerging area of research. We know much less about how cancer survivors can … 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

Media reports that the Government is about to issue a call for children under the age of five to be more active is to be welcomed.

We hope it sends out the strong message that physical activity is important and should be encouraged from as early an age as possible.

This is because it is important that we encourage children to become physically active as early as possible and then to carry on this habit into adulthood.

As well as all the other benefits of being regularly physically active, it can also reduce risk of cancer.

And as well as … Continue Reading

The Evening Standard is reporting that Public Health Minister Anne Milton sees the benefit of considering road closures to give children somewhere to play.

Ms Milton apparently got the idea from a meeting with a health minister from Colombia.

The suggestion is that increasing opportunities for children to play will encourage them to be more physically active.

At World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), we agree that encouraging children, and indeed all of us, to become more physically active is important, not least for cancer prevention. This is because physical activity reduces cancer risk in its own right and also … Continue Reading

Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced £836,000 of extra funding for cycle lanes.

This is good news if you happen to live in one of the areas that will benefit: Blackpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Colchester, Darlington, Derby, Exeter, Leighton Linslade, South Gloucestershire, Southend, Shrewsbury, Woking or York.

At World Cancer Research Fund we welcome any new money for cycle lanes.

This is because there is strong evidence that improving access to cycle lanes can make a real difference in increasing levels of physical activity, which is important for cancer prevention.

You only have to look at the examples of Amsterdam and … Continue Reading