New Cancer Council research released yesterday has found three quarters of Australians are confused about cancer prevention, mistakenly believing measures like drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, and positive thinking reduces their risk of cancer.

According to the survey, there was limited awareness of the link between cancer and some factors known to increase risk, such as processed meat (31%), alcohol (47%) and being overweight (53%).

Australians were just as confused about risk, incorrectly thinking cancer is caused by non-carcinogenic factors, with more than half (54%) blaming stress.

In an effort to combat the misconceptions, Cancer Council has launched a new website, iheard.com.au, to provide evidence-based answers to questions about cancer.  

Cancer Council Australia CEO, Professor Ian Olver, said the survey results highlighted the level of misinformation about cancer, much of it sourced from websites and social media, where fanciful claims could be made without any credible scientific evidence.

“There is a huge amount of misinformation out there and, as a result, many Australians are confused about the real factors that increase their risk of cancer and the lifestyle choices they can make to decrease their risk,” Professor Olver said.

“For example, there is little evidence that taking vitamin supplements can reduce cancer risk, yet there is very strong evidence that eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight will reduce your risk of getting cancer.” 

Cancer Council Scientific Advisor and international carcinogens expert, Professor Bernard Stewart, said people often blamed unknown or unlikely environmental factors for cancer, such as deodorant and food additives, rather than proven carcinogens.

“At least a third of cancers can be avoided through lifestyle choices, including not smoking, limiting alcohol, regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, being SunSmart and getting checked for certain cancers at recommended ages,” Professor Stewart said.

iheard.com.au provides a way for the increasing number of Australians searching online to check the validity of claims made about cancer. Visitors can post questions with links to videos or articles about cancer and our experts will provide evidence-based answers. 

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