Australians too often blame cancer on factors they do not control, such as pollution and stress, rather than proven risks such as obesity and alcohol, Cancer Council NSW says.
"It can be easier to blame cancer on something that's not within your control than factors like alcohol, exercise or weight, which is in your control," Cancer Council NSW director of cancer programs Kathy Chapman said.
A survey by the council of more than 3000 Australians found most people were able to recite the well-known risk factors for cancers, including smoking and sunburn.
But many put too much emphasis on factors including pollution, chemicals in food and stress, for which there is generally not a strong link, Ms Chapman says.
"People associated being overweight with diabetes and heart disease, but not with cancer," she said. "They rated pollution, chemicals and stress higher than what we actually know as risk factors, which are being overweight and (the consumption of) alcohol."
She said one-third of cancers were preventable.
Being overweight increases the risk of cancer by 25 per cent, drinking alcohol by 22 per cent, lack of exercise by 15 per cent and eating processed meats also by 15 per cent.
SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT CHEMICALS?
"For people that are exposed to chemicals through their work, that would be a risk factor, but the amount we're getting exposed to through the environment is not a concern in terms of cancer levels," Ms Chapman said.
"The fact that two-thirds of the community are overweight or obese, that's having a much bigger impact on cancer rates."
WHAT ABOUT POLLUTION?
"We don't want to be having a lot of pollution in the community but it's not a clear-cut risk factor for cancer," Ms Chapman said.
AND STRESS?
"We don't want to have stress in our lives, but there is no strong evidence to suggest it's connected with cancer."
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