Lifestyle Habits Linked to Increase in Liver and Skin Cancer Cases: Study

Lifestyle habits like drinking and holidaying in sunny locations are related to the sudden rise in liver and skin cancer, according to a study.

The Office for National Statistic in the U.K found the overall cases of liver and skin cancer increased in the last decade by 70 and 60 percent, respectively. Its reports revealed in 2012 alone there were 2,500 new cases of liver cancer in men and 1,400 in women. The disease rates rapidly surged since 1970's and majority of the cancer occurred during early 1990's. Even though alcohol consumption has lowered considerably in recent years, liver diseases continue to affect the older population as the symptoms of liver cancer appear during later years, reports the Independent.

In addition it was found use of tanning beds and holidaying in tropical locations in the summers increased malignant melanoma cases in England. The disease incidence increased by 78 percent in men and 48 percent in women. The agency noted a total of 11,300 new cases of skin cancer in 2012.

"This makes it now the fifth most common cancer in England. The increase in the number of people getting this potentially fatal disease should be a wake-up call to the Government that cancer has not been 'fixed' in this country," said Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support who found the study results very 'shocking'.

Apart from these two diseases the organization identified three other common types of cancer in men. In 2012 prostate, lung and colon cancer accounted for 30, 14 and 13 percent of the total cancer cases, respectively. Women mostly suffered cancers in the breast, lung and colon that made up 31, 12 and 11 percent of all cancers, respectively. The northern part of Europe had 5 percent increased incidence of cancer and London showed relatively lesser number of disease affected patients.

A recent research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that almost 40 percent of the deaths caused by five major diseases including cancer are preventable. The study cited unhealthy habits like intake of tobacco, excessive exposure to sun, drinking habits and low physical activity as the root cause of cancers. Experts advocate incorporating healthy habits to reduce health complications that progresses to fatal diseases and cancer.