The role of heredity in cancer
Every year, more than 117,000 people in the Netherlands are diagnosed with cancer. A diagnosis that has a huge impact on the life of the person and that of his or her loved ones. Cancer is the number one cause of death in the Netherlands and prevention is therefore of great importance. But is it possible to prevent cancer? Isn’t it just hereditary?
Many people think that cancer occurs because it runs in the family and it is ‘in the genes’. Yet heredity plays a role in only a limited number of cancer cases: less than 10 percent of cancer cases arise from specifically inherited genes. For example, genes have been discovered that increase the risk of breast cancer and genes that increase the risk of colon cancer. Fortunately, these genes are rare.
Having these specific genes makes you more susceptible to certain cancers, but that doesn’t mean you’ll actually get that cancer. It means you have a higher chance than average. Also, if you have these inherited genes, you can often reduce your risk of cancer through the choices you make in your lifestyle.
The role of your diet and lifestyle
We have no influence on personal factors that play a role in the development of cancer, such as our genes, age and gender. But there are also risk factors in our environment and lifestyle that play a role and on which we can influence. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of cancer. For example, according to estimates, a healthy lifestyle can prevent 30 to 50 percent of all cancer cases.
Not smoking, or quitting, and avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke are the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. In addition, it is important to maintain a healthy weight throughout your life by eating and living healthily. Being overweight increases the risk of as many as twelve types of cancer.
Other steps you can take to reduce your risk of cancer are eating healthy, exercising enough, not eating too much red and processed meat and drinking as little sugary drinks and alcohol as possible.
To work
Do you want to reduce your risk of cancer yourself? The World Cancer Research Fund has a clear information model made with the most important steps that you can take yourself in your diet and lifestyle based on the colors green, orange and red.
This article was produced in collaboration with the World Cancer Research Fund. World Cancer has been the authority in the Netherlands in the field of nutrition, exercise, body weight and cancer for more than 25 years. There are no guarantees against cancer, but by eating and living healthily we can reduce the risk of cancer.
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