Alcohol and smoking the culprits in bowel cancer

Each year, worldwide around one million new cases of bowel (colorectal) cancer are diagnosed and more than half a million people die from the disease.

In Australia it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and there are more than 12,000 new cases each year and according to scientists at Sydney's George Institute for International Health, the main culprits in bowel cancer are alcohol and tobacco.

The new research reviewed more than 100 international published studies on the link between major and modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer including alcohol, smoking, diabetes, physical activity and various dietary components and it has revealed that lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are important risk factors for bowel cancer.

The researchers say people who consume the largest quantities of alcohol (the equivalent of 7 drinks per week) have 60% greater risk of developing the cancer, compared with non-drinkers and smoking, obesity and diabetes were also linked with a 20% greater risk of developing bowel cancer - the same risk linked with consuming high intakes of red and processed meat.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Rachel Huxley says the most startling revelation was, the strong, and largely unknown link between high intakes of alcohol and the risk of bowel cancer.

Huxley says most people are aware that being overweight and having poor dietary habits are risk factors for the disease, but are probably unaware that other lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and diabetes are also important factors.

Guidelines from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council recommend individuals should drink no more than two standard drinks per day.

The researchers also say while physical activity lowered an individual's risk of the disease, there was surprisingly little evidence to indicate that high intakes of fruit and vegetables were protective against bowel cancer.

Associate Professor Huxley says the findings strongly suggest that many cancer cases could potentially be avoided by making relatively modest lifestyle adjustments such as drinking less, quitting smoking, eating healthily and being a little more active - she says such changes would also have huge benefits in terms of reducing an individuals' risk of developing other major forms of illness including cardiovascular disease.

The George Institute for International Health is an internationally-recognised health research organisation which undertakes high impact research across a broad health landscape and has a global network of top medical experts in a range of research fields as well as expertise in research design, project management and data and statistical analysis.

The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia program grant, and an unrestricted educational grant from Meat and Livestock Australia.