to think people who think cancer is caused by lifestyle choices are ignorant?

Your colleague is an ass. Otherwise why would young children get cancer

I'm 27 and I've already lost two friends my own age to cancer.

DH … non smoker, drank very little, ran marathons, ate healthily, very fit. Died aged 27 from cancer.

I’m pretty sure my 6YO DS cancer isn’t caused by any lifestyle choice he has made. The same for all the babies and children we see each week at the children’s oncology unit. Your friend is a fucking idiot.

Yes -hugely ignorant.
My Father never smoked, rarely drank, ate well, and had three primary cancers.
Died from the third “benign” cancer -consultant said he’d die with, not because of it. Covid restrictions played their part, but the third primary killed him.
None of his primaries were caused by “lifestyle”.

I have known a similar number. Children I went to school with, my close friend at uni, my cousin whilst pregnant and 4 boys in the past couple of years in my small town. All under 21 nevermind 40.

Sadly its not uncommon. I'm really suprised you have never come across it.

Op yanbu. Whilst clearly a direct link with certain cancers e.g smoking and lung cancer...most are random and nothing you can do to prevent them.

For some people, her way of thinking is a safety method, like victim blaming. If they don't or do xyz, it won't happen to them. Re knowing people who've had cancer young, I've personally known three children (thankfully all survived) and a then 22 year old, who survived. My niece died from cervical cancer in her early 20's, partly because she was under the age of screening.

I have a work colleague who thinks that cancer is always caused by lifestyle choices

Maybe she can expain why babies get cancer; or very old people who've had a long and healthy life.

Some are, some aren’t!

My sister, who ran regularly, never smoked or drank died age 53 from oesophagus cancer.

It is generally an old man's disease, seen in heavy smokers. So yeah, definitely her lifestyle.

I'd be amazed if anyone thought ALL cancers are caused by lifestyle choices.

Most people know that some cancers are or can be caused by lifestyle choices.

I'm under 40 and I have cancer.
I've known a handful of others in my life who have too, all before 40.
A variety of skin, bowel (that one was a fit healthy vegan) lymphoma, breast and brain tumour. All of us fairly healthy with low risk factors so it was quite surprising.

I know a 4 year old, 18 year old, 23 year old and a 38 year old. Cancer doesn't care what age you are.

Of course cancer isn’t always caused by lifestyle. But lifestyle can contribute. Lung cancer rates have decreased since smoking in public places was banned - that includes non-smokers too, due to reduction in passive smoking. Some cancers have hugely reduced due to changes in legislation, eg mesothelioma which is caused by asbestos exposure is now much rarer than in the 1970s. But it’s not always so straightforward and unfortunately some common cancers occur spontaneously in teetotal, non-smoking vegans just as they do in heavy drinkers who eat junk food. It’s very unlikely that anyone with breast or bowel cancer will have a cause identified, unless they have a syndrome or specific gene which hugely predisposes them to it. But at population level, a lot of cancers are found more commonly in drinkers/smokers/people who don’t exercise etc. It’s a smaller individual risk but it’s there. Personally I still drink alcohol even knowing it increases my cancer risk slightly. I’m not going to beat myself up about that.

Cancer is a mystery

My husband was dx with cancer aged 32. He is at the gym 3 times a week, barely drank and smoked once for about 2 years as a teenager.
She's an idiot

A lot of cancers are due to lifestyle choices, many are not. It’s just a turn of the dice for many ppl

If I had a 5% risk of a type of cancer, then a lifestyle ufestyle factor (eg obesity) increased it to 7% .... that cancer wasnt caused by my weight.

People like to think "itll never happen to me" so overplay the increased risk to the point they believe "lung cancer is always caused by smoking".

Evidence shows those things can increase the risk of certain cancers.

which is different to all cancers are caused by lifestyle...

1 in 2 people will develop cancer.

It can't just be down to lifestyle otherwise children wouldn't get cancer

Cancer is not one disease.

Children tend to get the cancers that are not associated with lifestyle factors. And of course may adults get those cancers too. But adults also get those where such factors do matter, and get them in higher numbers when the exposure is unregulated.

So 10% of lung cancers unrelated to smoking in a population where around 30-40% of the population smoke (roughly UK at present). In a population where no-one smokes, the lung cancer rate would be sharply smaller (90% of cases simply wouldn't happen) but 100% would be unrelated to smoking.

You can't be sure a healthy lifestyle will mean you never have cancer. But if you want to move the odds a bit in your favour: maintain normal weight, wear sunscreen, don't smoke, drink alcohol in moderation or not at all, keep active, avoid highly processed foods. It's not a guarantee - you can do all those things and still be unlucky as an individual.

But a population which does those things will have fewer cases

But some cancers have a scientifically proven link to lifestyle. Lung and bladder are linked heavily to smoking as an example.

6 people under 40?? 😲

Wow, either you know a lot of people, or you've been very unfortunate. I've never known anybody under 40 get cancer. Obviously I know it happens, but I wouldn't have thought it was that common.

Have they never heard of the BRCA gene?

Sometimes lifestyle is a contributing factor. But it isn’t the only factor and to suggest that it is is over-simplifying, inaccurate and unfair. Your colleague sounds tactless.