New research examined a total of 1,570,975 cancer cases. During the analysis, 26 cancer types and 17 risk factors were analyzed.

These 17 risk factors are called “modifiable” because people can take active measures to change them. In the new study, such factors included:

• alcohol intake
• smoking (both first- and second-hand)
• excess body weight
• a low content of fiber in one’s diet
• the consumption of processed red meat
• a low intake of fruit and vegetables
• ultraviolet (UV) radiation
• low calcium
• a lack of physical activity
• any of six cancer-linked infections

Dr. Farhad Islami, of the American Cancer Society (ACS), led the research, and the findings were published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.