Abstract OP-02: Accelerating cancer prevention through individual behavior and public health approaches

Abstract

Abstract We must overcome skepticism that cancer can be prevented, and harness current knowledge to translate and implement effective programs that will reduce the global cancer burden. More than half of cancer can be prevented through effective prevention strategies that are not routinely implemented. These include changes through health care providers, through regulations to reduce our cancer risk, and through community and individual behavior changes. Effective prevention programs require all components of a prevention strategy to work together to reinforce changes that reduce the burden of cancer. Yet we do not act to prevention more than half of all cancers in high income countries where smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity and poor diet are dominant causes of cancer. In low and middle income countries, infection causes 25% of all cancers. We must align the time frame for research and outcomes to more directly relate to the time course of cancer development and the long time interval between successful interventions and reductions in cancer burden. Cancer incidence may be reduced 10 to 40 or more years after effective interventions. Accordingly, as prevention pays off over decades, we must communicate the time frame and align expectations for reducing the cancer burden with the underling knowledge of cancer etiology and prevention. Society must accept this time frame to commit resources to prevention. Infrastructure for academic and public health units to effectively achieve prevention goals will be discussed. A great emphasis and reward for implementing effective prevention programs is urgently needed to arrest the global cancer epidemic. Citation Format: Graham A. Colditz. Accelerating Cancer Prevention Through Individual Behavior and Public Health Approaches. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr OP-02.