Cancer Linked to Behavior in Elderly
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — About 80 percent of cancer diagnoses occur in the elderly, but many of their risk factors for the disease are behavioral, a new study revealed.
The Duke University study was done to estimate the impact measurable risk factors have on cancer in the elderly. It revealed more than 80 percent of known risk factors in individuals 65 years of age or older are potentially preventable.
Some of the risk factor/cancer links were similar to those found in The National Long Term Care Survey (NLTCS). Physical activity especially impacted colon and prostate cancers. Tobacco use was also significantly linked to lung cancer. Surprisingly, cancer risk was not related to alcohol consumption, which other studies have shown.