Men ‘more vulnerable to cancer than women due to poor lifestyles’

LONDON - A world health expert has warned that men in the UK are much more susceptible to cancer than women because of their poor lifestyles.

Figures show that men are 14 per cent more likely to develop the disease than their female counterparts in England.

But this is “not inevitable” claims Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), and is mainly down to their bad diet and alcohol consumption.

Men score higher on almost all cancer risk factors apart from physical activity, where they do more of this than women.

But surveys have shown they are less aware of the link between lifestyle and the disease, which has led WCRF to produce a ‘Men’s Health Guide’ to improve their knowledge of how they can help protect themselves.

“Men have higher rates of many diseases than women so it might sometimes seem like this is just a fact of life,” the Telegraph quoted Thompson as saying.

“But while it is true that there are some biological reasons for the difference, we need to get across the message that the higher rates of cancer in men are not inevitable.

“By making relatively simple lifestyle changes such as eating more fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight and cutting down on alcohol, men can make a real difference to their cancer risk.

“But it is a concern that as well as having, on average, less healthy habits than women, men are also less aware of the potential consequences of these habits.

This is because unless they are aware of how cancer can be prevented, they are not in a position to make their own informed choices,” Thompson added. (ANI)