Talk:Cancer in the United Kingdom
Latest comment: 2 years ago by John FireMonkey in topic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Cancer_in_the_United_Kingdom, 1. Performance
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Cancer_in_the_United_Kingdom, 1. Performance
editUnder the sub-heading 'Performance', 1st paragraph, the last of three sentences states "Three quarters of cancers were related to smoking and drinking".
The reference for this statement, [4] ("Revealed for the first time: the cancer map of Britain". The Daily Telegraph. 11 July 2005) is behind a paywall so I couldn't check the source. It seems grossly unlikely that 75% of cancers in the UK are caused by preventable lifestyle factors (in fact rather more than 75% when we include changeable dietary factors, excessive recreational UV exposure, etc.) The Cancer Research UK website states, "Smoking is the largest cause of cancer in the UK, accounting for 15% of all cancer cases." https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk#heading-Two The same site also states, "...drinking alcohol...cause[s] 3-4% of cancer cases in the UK." https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk#heading-One
Cancer Research UK is a long-established charity responsible for funding and conducting significant research into cancer, and for increasing public awareness about cancer-related issues within the UK.
The percentages supplied by Cancer Research UK (15 + 4 = 19% of cancers due to smoking and drinking) seem credible to me. 19% is obviously significantly different to the 75% stated in the existing Wikipedia article, a value I find incredible. Unless someone can produce a more reliable source of information which supports the 75% figure in the near future, I suggest the third sentence, 1st para of 1. Performance be amended or deleted. John FireMonkey (talk) 14:42, 14 August 2022 (UTC)