Cancer & Lifestyle: How Employers Can Help Fight Cancer through the Promotion of Healthy Behaviors

Epidemiological studies have shown that 75 to 85 percent of all cancers are caused by environmental exposures, and of those, lifestyle-related factors are the most important and preventable. Tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption, common vices of the modern Western lifestyle, have infiltrated global culture and significantly contributed to the worldwide prevalence of cancer.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 12 million people worldwide were diagnosed with cancer in 2008, killing more people than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Stateside, the statistics are also discouraging: a staggering 1 out of 4 U.S. deaths can be attributed to cancer each year. We pay for it financially with enormous medical and productivity costs and emotionally as we watch loved ones struggle with living with the disease and dying from it. The good news is that over half of cancers are preventable – and employers can play a bigger role in helping to fight cancer than they may realize.

This white paper, derived from a presentation given by the American Cancer Society's Thomas J. Glynn, PhD, discusses the modern lifestyle and its relationship to cancer, as well as the practical strategies that individuals and employers can use to adopt and promote healthier behaviors.

Download the White Paper