An overview of selected cancers and modifiable cancer risk factors in Canada : Cancer prevention

For each of these factors, we present the following information: 1. An overview of the relationship between the factor and cancer 2. Historical trends in the factor in Canada 3. Regional variation in the factor The focus of the second section is on a group of selected cancers. [...] The proportion of Canadians who are current smokers by region and sex in 2005 is indicated in Figure 2. The proportion of male current smokers ranges from a low of 17.2% in British Columbia to a high of 34.6% in the North. [...] On the other hand, the evidence linking vegetable and fruit consumption and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease is well established.5 This may come as a surprise to some, as the protective effects of fruits and vegetables for many cancers was largely regarded as established, especially following the first review by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research (WCRF/AIC [...] In preparing the 2007 WCRF/AICR document Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, a team of scientific experts provided a review and summary of the evidence linking a variety of activities with the potential increase or decrease in the risk of developing cancer. [...] MET-hours is an estimate of the physical activity level of a person based on the MET value of each activity participated in, the duration of each activity, and the weekly frequency of each activity.