Onkológia 1/2022

Primary prevention of cancer

Cancer remains the most prominent cause of death in productive age. Primary prevention, an intervention aimed to avoid disease occurrence, potentially alters this condition most significantly. There are modifiable and non-modifiable factors which may take share in cancer development. Evaluation of non-modifiable risk factors including age, sex, hormonal status, family history and gene mutational status may provide the risk assessment of a certain cancer. A large proportion of malignancies is considered sporadic, unrelated to genetic predisposition with modifiable lifestyle and environmental risk factors dominating in their promotion. Primary prevention strategies focus predominantly on modifying the following risk factors: smoking, diet, physical inactivity, obesity, alcohol consumption, infections, sexual behavior, and environmental and professional exposure to cancerogenic substances. Smoking remains the most important risk factor contributing to the development of up to one third of malignancies. Witnessing successful cutting of tabaco use over the last two decades, other risk factors, expecially physical inactivity and obesity have become more prominent. Tackling modifiable risk factors of lifestyle is the effective, yet extremely challenging way to reduce cancer mortality, potentially by one half. Medical prevention, vaccines and surgical prevention may be associated with certain risks and the benefit should be individually considered, often requiring careful counseling.

Keywords: primary prevention, cancer, incidence, mortality