News digest – preventable cancers, nurse shortages, vaping and cancer’s ‘spare tyre’

400 cancer cases a day could be avoided, says charity

Maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking and drinking less alcohol are some of the main lifestyle changes that could mean 400 fewer cancer cases are diagnosed each day in the UK. That’s according to figures from the World Cancer Research Fund, who found that over 1,000 cancers were diagnosed each day in the UK in 2017. The charity estimated that lifestyle changes could prevent 4 in 10 cancer cases, as we’ve blogged about before. ITV News has the latest.

Fish oil supplements have ‘little to no’ benefit in preventing cancer

Researchers have found that daily supplements of omega-3 (including fish oils), have little to no benefit in preventing cancer, reports BBC News. Omega-3 supplements are often advertised as having a range of health benefits, but a study by researchers at the University of Anglia found that omega-3 supplements may fail to offer the advantages they advertise.

Fears about vaping preventing smokers who want to quit

A new report by Public Health England has revealed that perceptions of the dangers of vaping among those who smoke are ‘out of line’ with the evidence, reports The Times (£) and Mail Online. The report found that the percentage of people who thought that vaping was less harmful than tobacco cigarettes declined from 45% in 2014 to 34% in 2019. While e-cigarettes are a relatively new product and we still don’t know their long-term impact, research so far shows that vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco and can help people stop smoking.

Lung cancer nursing services under pressure by unsustainable workload

A snapshot survey, carried out by Lung Cancer Nursing UK, found that nearly half of lung cancer specialist nurses are looking after more than 200 patients at a time. The figures, reported in the Nursing Times, reflect the pressures put on specialist nurses due to staff and resource shortages.

Water-only policy in primary schools could help tackle childhood obesity, says Mayor

Southwark council will be enforcing a “water-only” initiative in its schools from April, banning sugary drinks and allowing students to drink only water or milk. The Mayor of London has encouraged the use of a “water-only” policy in primary schools as a tactic to tackle childhood obesity. Schools should be following the School Food Standards, which already limits the type of drinks allowed. But this policy goes even further. The Evening Standard has this one.

And finally…

Our TRACERx scientists, who are working on a £14m project to understand lung cancer evolution, are decoding the potential benefits of cancer cells duplicating their DNA. Read our blog post to find out more.

Lilly