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. 2009 Mar;20(3):550-5.
doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdn597. Epub 2008 Sep 2.

The causes of cancer in France

P Boffetta  1 , M Tubiana, C Hill, M Boniol, A Aurengo, R Masse, A-J Valleron, R Monier, G de Thé, P Boyle, P Autier
Affiliations
Free article

The causes of cancer in France

P Boffetta et al. Ann Oncol. 2009 Mar.
Free article

Abstract

Background: While external factors are responsible for many human cancers, precise estimates of the contribution of known carcinogens to the cancer burden in a given population have been scarce.

Methods: We estimated the proportion of cancer deaths which occurred in France in 2000 attributable to known risk factors, based on data on frequency of exposure around 1985.

Results: In 2000, tobacco smoking was responsible for 23.9% of cancer deaths (33.4% in men and 9.6% in women), alcohol drinking for 6.9% (9.4% in men and 3.0% in women) and chronic infections for 3.7%. Occupation is responsible for 3.7% of cancer deaths in men; lack of physical activity, overweight/obesity and use of exogenous hormones are responsible for 2%-3% of cancer deaths in women. Other risk factors, including pollutants, are responsible for <1% of cancer deaths. Thus, known risk factors explain 35.0% of cancer deaths, and 15.0% among never smokers.

Conclusions: While cancer mortality is decreasing in France, known risk factors of cancer explain only a minority of cancers, with a predominant role of tobacco smoking.

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