In the wake of statistics that show nearly half of cancer cases in Alberta are preventable, Alberta Health Services has launched an online resource to help Albertans.
The Alberta Prevents Cancer website is an online resource with statistics on cancer risk factors and how to prevent them came about following results from a new study that's being hailed as a significant step forward in cancer prevention.
“The new study has found about 45 percent of cancer cases in Alberta are linked to known and modifiable factors,” Dr. Verna Yiu, interim AHS President and CEO said.
“We just weren’t sure before how much those factors contributed to cancer in Alberta,” Dr. Laura McDougall with the Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund said.
Study authors admit lifestyle changes can’t promise protection from cancer, the results show about 6,700 new cancer cases could be prevented annually in Alberta by addressing risk factors.
“Eating healthy, being active, maintaining a healthy body weight, getting screened, getting vaccinated, limiting exposure to ultraviolet radiation, avoiding tobacco, and reducing alcohol consumption, are key to cancer prevention,” Dr. McDougall said.
Dr. Yiu said if Albertans don’t start making healthier choices, 1 in 2 Albertans could develop cancer.
For Laurilee Purcell, the research hit home – her brother, Bryce, had leukemia. She says her healthy lifestyle helped her recover quickly after she donated stem cells that saved his life.
“Obviously it’s not going to prevent everything, but if some of it can be prevented then we need to work towards that,” Purcell said.
The study can be found below:
With files from Susan Amerongen
