Alcohol, obesity behind alarming rate of throat and liver cancer in UK
London, Nov 14 : Alcohol and obesity are to be blamed for the alarming rate of throat and liver cancer in the UK as compared to anywhere else in Europe, a new study has claimed.
The oesophagus is the tube that links the back of the mouth to the stomach, and around 8,000 oesophageal cancer cases are diagnosed in the UK each year and more than 7,000 die from it.
According to the league table compiled by the World Cancer Research Fund, about 6.4 out of every 100,000 people develop cancer of the oesophagus in Britain each year, which is almost double the European average of 3.3.
Doctors claim that many sufferers could have prevented the condition by making simple changes to their lifestyles.
"The fact that the UK has the highest rate in Europe is a real concern because it is a type of cancer that has a particularly low survival rate," the Daily Express quoted Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for the World Cancer Research Fund as saying.
"It is also a particularly preventable type of cancer.
"Most oesophageal cases in the UK could be prevented through a healthy diet, limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.
"The problem is that we have the highest obesity rate in Europe and we drink more alcohol than the European average.
"This means that thousands of people every year are being diagnosed with an oesophageal cancer that could have been prevented," she added. (ANI)