Obesity rivals smoking as cause of cancer, UK charity warns

Obesity is rivalling smoking as a cause of cancer, responsible for more cases of bowel, kidney, ovarian and liver cancer than cigarettes, according to the UK’s leading cancer charity.

Sarah Boseley Health editor

The Guardian3 July 2019

Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Smoking is still the biggest cause of cancer, but Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has warned that government action to tackle obesity is vital, because it is a significant factor in 13 different types of cancer. Obese people now outnumber smokers by two to one.

Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, said: “As smoking rates fall and obesity rates rise, we can clearly see the impact on a national health crisis when the government puts policies in place – and when it puts its head in the sand.

“Our children could be a smoke-free generation, but we’ve hit a devastating record high for childhood obesity, and now we need urgent government intervention to end the epidemic. They still have a chance to save lives.”

Levels of smoking and obesity in the UK

Excess weight causes about 1,900 more cases of bowel cancer than smoking in the UK each year, said CRUK. There are also 1,400 more cases of kidney cancer caused by excess weight than by smoking each year, 460 more ovarian cancers and 180 more cases of liver cancer.

The charity issued its warning as figures were released by Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics showing the decline in smoking in the UK. There has been a big reduction in the overall smoking rate to 14.7% last year, down five percentage points from 2011. Across the UK, 26% of the adult population were classified as obese in 2016, while 40% of men and 30% of women were overweight.

Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “Although cancer survival is at a record high, this significant progress is in danger of being undone by the fast-growing epidemic of obesity, given excess weight is linked to 13 types of cancer.

“This study is further proof that obesity is the new smoking, and the NHS can’t win the ‘battle against the bulge’ on its own; families, food businesses and government all need to play their part if we’re to avoid copying America’s damaging and costly example.”

Excess weight causes more cases of some types of cancer than smoking

Caroline Cerny of the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of more than 40 health organisations, said: “The causes of obesity are complex, but we know that the environment we live in plays a huge role, and currently this is heavily skewed towards unhealthy options. This is why we need the government to push on with plans to bring in a 9pm watershed on junk food adverts on TV and online, reduce the amount of unhealthy food promoted in supermarkets, and take sugar out of everyday food and drinks.”

Eating too much sugar contributes to people having too many calories during the day, which can lead to weight gain. Being overweight increases the risk of health problems such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Sugar is also one of the main causes of tooth decay. 

The NHS advises that most adults and children in the UK eat too much of a type of sugar called 'free sugars'. These are the sugars added to food and drinks, found in biscuits, chocolate, breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks. But they are also found naturally in honey and unsweetened fruit juices.

The UK government’s recommendation is that these 'free sugars' should not make up more than 5% of the calories you have every day. That is still quite a lot of sugar - it equates to seven sugar cubes worth for an adult. But bear in mind that one can of a fizzy drink can include the equivalent of 9 cubes of sugar. Children under 4 should avoid all sugar-sweetened drinks and food with added 'free sugars' in it.

Sugar found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables does not count as 'free sugars', so people do not need to cut down on them.

Martin Belam

CRUK agrees with that agenda. “There isn’t a silver bullet to reduce obesity, but the huge fall in smoking over the years – partly thanks to advertising and environmental bans – shows that government-led change works. It was needed to tackle sky-high smoking rates, and now the same is true for obesity,” said Prof Linda Bauld, the charity’s prevention expert.

The British Medical Association said the government was dragging its heels over bringing in measures to curb obesity. “The severity of this problem must not be underestimated. As well as the pressing need to raise public awareness of the worrying link between obesity and multiple types of cancer, we need to see a reversal of the cuts to public health funding so we can prevent children and adults reaching this critical stage. Failure to do so will continue to cost lives,” said the association’s board of science chair, Prof Parveen Kumar.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/obesity-rivals-smoking-cause-cancer-050038244.html

Cutting cancer risks | 10 recommendations

https://healthticket.blogspot.com/2019/06/game-changing-cancer-drugs-which-can.html

Our cancer prevention recommendations

Cutting out high-calorie foods and sugary drinks. Drinking less alcohol. Losing weight.

What changes could you make to your life to reduce your risk of getting cancer?

Based on the latest scientific research about how to prevent cancer, our advice is practical and simple to understand.

Be a healthy weight

Keep your weight within the healthy range and avoid weight gain in later life

Balancing your weight

Move more

Be physically active as part of everyday life – walk more and sit less

Getting active

Enjoy more grains, veg, fruit & beans

Eat a wide variety of wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and pulses such as beans

Reshape your plate

Avoid high-calorie foods

Limit consumption of fast foods and other processed foods high in fat or sugar

Stay full for longer

Limit consumption of red and processed meat

Eat no more than three portions of red meat a week and eat little, if any, processed meat

What counts as processed?

Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks

Drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks

What counts as sugar-sweetened?

For cancer prevention, don’t drink alcohol

If you do, limit alcoholic drinks and follow national guidelines

Tips for cutting down

Don’t rely on supplements

Eat a healthy diet rather than relying on supplements to protect against cancer

Learn more

Breastfeed your baby

If you can, breastfeed your baby for six months before adding other liquids and foods

Benefits of breastfeeding

Cancer survivors

After a cancer diagnosis, follow our recommendations, if you can

Get more advice

Our recommendations

How do we know that they work?

Independent analysis

https://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention-recommendations

Game-changing cancer drugs which can attack all tumours will be fast-tracked by NHS

Game-changing cancer drugs which can attack all types of tumour will be fast-tracked by the NHS, the head of the health service will today announce.

•  Laura Donnelly, health editor

19 JUNE 2019 • 12:01AM

A revolutionary class of treatments could offer hope to thousands of patients in cases which were previously untreatable CREDIT: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Simon Stevens will say that a revolutionary class of treatments - known as “tumour agnostic” drugs - could offer hope to thousands of patients in cases which were previously untreatable.

They work by targeting tumours according to their genetic make-up, rather than where they originate in the body.

As a result, they can be used to treat a range of type of diseases - shrinking tumours in up to three quarters of cancers tested.

Today Mr Stevens will tell a conference of NHS leaders in Manchester that preparations are underway to ensure the next generation of treatment can be quickly made available to patients.

Two of the first drugs are expected to be licenced later this year, and could be approved by NHS rationing bodies soon after, depending on price negotiations.

Earlier detection and treatment of cancer is a central part of the long-term plan for the health service.

Mr Stevens is expected to tell the NHS Confederation conference: “This exciting new breakthrough in cancer treatment is the latest example of how the NHS can lead the way in the new era of personalised cancer care.

“The benefits for patients, in particular children, of being able to treat many different types of cancers with one drug is potentially huge, helping them to lead longer, healthier lives.”

It follows a decision last year to make England the first country in Europe to fund another pioneering treatment, called Car-T, which programmes the body to attack rogue cells, for children.

Today Mr Stevens will say that children should also be among the first to benefit from the new generation of drugs, which target tumours with the genetic variation which accelerates growth.

With such treatments, testing the tumour’s genes or other molecular features assists in deciding which treatments may be best, regardless of where the cancer is located.

The advances are possible because of the NHS national genomic medicine and testing service, launched last year, which allows patients to be tested to see who can benefit from access to targeted treatment, often when no other options are available.

The genetic flaw - known as neurotropic tyrosine receptor kinase, or NTRK - is most commonly found in rare cancers such as  salivary tumours and infantile fibrosarcoma but is also in low levels in more common cancers.

Two drugs - Larotrectinib, produced by Bayer, and entrectinib, from Roche, are expected to be the first drugs to be licenced, later this year.

Health officials said around 850 patients a year could benefit from the frontrunners while many thousands a year are eventually expected to benefit from other treatments on the horizon.

The drugs work by blocking the NTRK enzyme, effectively shrinking the tumour. Early clinical trials showed the tumour responded in two thirds to three quarters of the cancers tested.

Existing cancer drugs need to be approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for each individual type of cancer they treat such as breast or colon cancer.

However, when approved, the new drugs would be available to treat all types of tumour without individual approval.

Mr Stevens will urge health leaders to prepare to introduce the drugs, ahead of meetings next week about how to ensure speedy adoption of the drugs.

Today he will also say that manufacturers need to set fair and affordable prices for the treatments. In recent months, a number of deals have been agreed between the NHS and manufacturers, allowing the rollout of drugs for rare disease, but they remain at loggerheads about the pricing of a treatment for cystic fibrosis, which the NHS refuses to fund.

Mr Stevens will today say: “Preparations are underway to make sure the NHS can adopt these next generation of treatments, but manufacturers need to set fair and affordable prices so treatments can be made available to those who need them.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/18/game-changing-cancer-drugs-can-attack-tumours-will-fast-tracked/

Women not aware enough of breast cancer link to alcohol

Women know too little about alcohol's role in increasing breast cancer risk, a study suggests.

19 June 2019

Only one in five women attending a breast cancer clinic knew it was a risk factor.

But alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for 5-11% of cases.

Cancer Research UK said cutting down on alcohol was one of the best things women could do to reduce their breast cancer risk.

Two hundred women took part in the study, published in the online journal BMJ Open. They were either being screened for breast cancer, or having symptoms checked.

They completed questionnaires on lifestyle-related risk factors. Just under a third knew being obese increased breast cancer risk, and half knew smoking was another risk factor. But only 16% of women in the screening group, and 23% in the symptoms group, knew that alcohol is a risk factor.

More than half of those who drank alcohol (88 out of 152) thought they knew how to estimate the alcohol content of drinks, but less than three-quarters correctly estimated the alcohol content of a standard glass of wine, and just over half correctly estimated the amount in a pint of beer.

The numbers that matter

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK
• There are more than 54,000 new cases diagnosed and 11,000 deaths each year
• Eight in 100 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime
• Drinking two units of alcohol a day increases the risk to 11 in 100

Around half a million women are seen at clinics to check out potential breast cancer symptoms in the UK each year.

Prof Julia Sinclair, who led the study, said it was an opportunity to give them information that could help reduce their chances of developing the disease.

"Ninety-four per cent of them don't have breast cancer. If you have a family history, you would be referred for monitoring.

"But if you're overweight or drinking more than you should be, people don't say 'there's something you could do about that'.

"Alcohol increases the risk by three per 100 so its a low absolute risk, but it's something that's modifiable,

"This is about empowering women to have the knowledge, so they can make decisions."

Alcohol-free days

Prof Sinclair said women given the all-clear from the clinics would generally be happy to be given information about alcohol risk, as long as they weren't "blamed" for drinking.

Cancer Research UK advises that breast cancer risk increases with each extra unit of alcohol per day.

"It's worrying that most women in this study didn't know alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer, as cutting down on alcohol is one of the best ways people can reduce their risk" said Emma Shields, its health information manager.

"You don't have to give alcohol up completely. Having smaller servings and more alcohol-free days can make a big difference."

She added: "Using breast screening appointments as a time to talk to women about their drinking and cancer risk is an interesting idea, but more research is needed to see how people would react to this, and whether it would actually help reduce cancer risk."

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How many units of alcohol are in drinks?

• Single shot of spirits (25ml): 1 unit
• Standard (175ml) glass of wine: 2.1 units
• Large (250ml) glass of wine: 3 units
• Pint of 4%-strength beer: 2.3 units
• Pint of 5%-strength beer: 2.8 units
• Pint of strong cider (8%): 4.5 units

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48677953

Men who eat two portions of yoghurt are less likely to develop bowel cancer, major study finds

Men who have two portions of yoghurt a week could cut the risk of precancerous growths by a fifth, a study suggests.

• Laura Donnelly, health editor

18 JUNE 2019 • 10:30PM

Scientists said that two bacteria commonly found in live yogurt, may lower the number of cancer causing chemicals in the gut

 CREDIT: GETTY

Research by the University of Washington found those eating plenty of it had a significantly lower chance of developing adenoma which can lead to bowel cancer.

The study, published in Gut, which tracked more than 32,000 men for 25 years, found that those consuming at least two portions of yoghurt a week had 19 per cent fewer growths - and 26 per cent fewer of the most high-risk type.

The study was observational, and could not demonstrate why the foodstuff might have such an impact.

But scientists said that Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, two bacteria commonly found in live yogurt, may lower the number of cancer causing chemicals in the gut.

The anti-inflammatory properties might also reduce gut leakiness, which could also protect against disease, they said. The study tracked a total of 32,606 men and 55,743 women, all of whom had a lower bowel endoscopy, which enables medics to view the inside of their gut.

Every four years they provided detailed information on lifestyle and diet - including how much yoghurt they ate. During the study period, 5,811 pre-cancerous growths developed in the men, and 8,116 in the women.

While men who ate yoghurt had a far lower risk of developing the growths, called adenoma, no association was seen in women.

Katie Patrick, health information officer, from Cancer Research UK, said: “The colon is home to trillions of microbes and how the bacteria in our gut might affect bowel cancer risk is a fascinating area of research. Lots of things affect the types of bugs in our gut and our overall gut health, including the foods we eat.

“But men don’t need to fill their shopping trolleys with yoghurt because it’s too early to say from this study whether eating more yoghurt could reduce the risk of bowel cancer. However, there is good evidence that you can reduce your risk by eating more foods high in fibre, like wholegrain bread or brown rice, and cutting down on processed and red meat.”

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with almost 42,000 diagnoses annually.

Related Topics

• Colon and Rectal Cancer
 
• Cancer
 
• Scientific research
 
• Health

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/18/men-eat-two-portions-yoghurt-less-likely-develop-bowel-cancer/

Pharmacy warns FDA of cancer-causing chemical found in widely used heart pill

A pharmacy warns the FDA that it found a chemical believed to cause cancer in a widely used blood pressure medication, according to a filing.

• Valisure told FDA that high levels of dimethylformamide were found in valsartan, a drug produced by Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies.

PUBLISHED TUE, JUN 18 2019  12:57 PM EDTUPDATED TUE, JUN 18 2019  5:42 PM EDT

A pharmacy warned the Food and Drug Administration that it found a chemical believed to cause cancer in a widely used blood pressure medication, according to a filing from the federal agency.

Valisure, an online pharmacy company licensed in 37 states, told the FDA last week that high levels of dimethylformamide were found in valsartan, a drug produced by Swiss drugmaker Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies. The drug is used to treat hypertension in adults. The World Health Organization classifies dimethylformamide, or DMF, as a probable human carcinogen.

Valisure asked that the medication be recalled and requested that the FDA review and significantly lower the acceptable intake of DMF from its current level of 8,800,000 nanograms to less than 1,000 nanograms. The online pharmacy said it found the cancer-causing chemical in valsartan produced by five companies.

The FDA will evaluate Valisure’s findings and will respond directly to the online pharmacy firm, FDA spokesman Jeremy Kahn said in a statement to CNBC. 

Patients should continue to take their blood pressure medication even if it is recalled until their doctor provides a replacement or alternative treatment, he added. Abruptly discontinuing a medication is risky, he said.

In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for Novartis said in general the company’s manufacturing process does not use DMF but it cannot currently fully “exclude the possibility that traces of DMF (within applicable limits) may have been present in materials of other Drug Substances suppliers.”

“The quality and safety of all our products is of the utmost importance to Novartis,” the spokesperson added.

Several blood pressure drugs have already been recalled due to concerns about other cancer-causing chemicals. Earlier this month, Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals said it would expand a recall of its heart medication, losartan potassium, after a carcinogen known asN-Nitrosodimethylamine, or NMBA was detected. Torrent Pharmaceuticals in April said it would also recall losartan and Camber Pharmaceutical told the FDA in February it would recall the drug.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/18/fda-warned-of-cancer-causing-chemical-found-in-heart-pill.html

New cancer-causing toxin found in recalled blood pressure pills

U.S. health regulators said on Friday a third cancer-causing toxin was found in some blood pressure pills recalled by India's Hetero Labs Ltd a day earlier, adding to a global recall of commonly used drugs to treat hypertension.

02 MAR 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also looking into whether these types of impurities could be found in other classes of drugs, a spokeswoman for the regulator said.

The toxin, N-Nitroso-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA), identified in 87 lots of Hetero’s losartan potassium pills, was not found in medicines that were previously recalled by a number of drugmakers.

The FDA said Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd is expanding its voluntary recall to include 114 additional lots of losartan-containing medication due to unacceptable amounts of NMBA in the losartan manufactured by Hetero Labs.

Global authorities have been clamping down on sales of some blood pressure medicines as they are suspected to be tainted with two probable carcinogens - N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

The drugs, including losartan, belong to a class of widely used medicines for treating high blood pressure called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs. Some generic versions of other ARBs, such as valsartan and irbesartan, have also been recalled.

The FDA said increased risk of cancer in patients exposed to the new impurity, NMBA, appeared to be the same as those exposed to NDMA, but less than the risk from NDEA.

The recalls began last year after regulators said ingredients used by Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals Co to produce valsartan contained cancer-causing impurities.

Since then, generic drugmakers such as Mylan NV, Teva Pharmaceutical and Novartis’ Sandoz have recalled products containing the tainted ingredients.

In January, the FDA warned of the possibility of additional shortages of hypertension drugs in the United States due to the recalls.

The FDA also said it is working to develop testing methods to detect other cancer-causing impurities.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-bloodpressure-fda/new-cancer-causing-toxin-found-in-recalled-blood-pressure-pills