New research suggests cancer cases in Canada will rise substantially, if new policies are not developed to decrease rates of preventable forms of the disease.

Scientist Christine Friedenreich says as many as four in 10 cancer cases could be prevented when people choose not to smoke, to be physically active, maintain a healthy weight, have a nutritious diet and practice sun safety.

“So this is the first time in Canada that we have such a comprehensive study. We can actually quantify how that burden could be decreased at a national level and a provincial level, by different age groups and by gender,” Friedenreich explains.

The findings also suggest a lack of policies promoting behaviour changes would lead to almost 60 per cent more cases of preventable cancer by 2042.

The study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, is published today in the journal Preventive Medicine