Around 4 in 10 cancers could be prevented by making healthy behaviour changes. What you eat and drink, whether you smoke, your level of physical activity and how much you protect yourself from the sun are all things that can affect your chances of getting cancer, and your chances of preventing it.

There are some environmental factors which are a risk and these vary depending on where you live and work.

Other factors, such as family history, income, ​​age, race and ethnicity, are also important. While they cannot be changed, being aware of these risk factors can be beneficial if it motivates you to lower your risk in areas where you have control.

For more information on how to reduce your cancer risk, please visit the Preventing Cancer section.

BC Cancer’s Prevention Program has health promotions specialists (HP specialists) who build partnerships and collaborate on public health initiatives, supporting awareness and action in British Columbia regarding lifestyle factors for cancer prevention. In BC alone, the combined annual cost of smoking, inactivity, and obesity amounts to approximately $3.8 billion.

We know that approximately one in three people will develop cancer in their lifetime, yet around 40 percent of those cancers are preventable.

In carrying out their mandate, the HP specialists focus on evidence-based information about factors that are known to increase risk for cancer. Tobacco, unhealthy body weight, inactivity, poor nutrition and sun exposure are some of these factors.

We have a strict adherence to evidence-based knowledge and are constantly looking for opportunities to make progress in cancer prevention and promote healthy living for all British Columbians.

Learn more about the prevention programs​.​​​​