A straightforward medical test, already utilized by millions of healthcare providers, might soon serve purposes beyond heart health. A recent study from University College London suggests that common risk assessment tools for heart disease could also help predict the likelihood of developing several major types of cancer years before any symptoms appear.
Most adults are familiar with routine health evaluations that include blood pressure, weight, smoking status, and other health indicators. Healthcare providers use this information to estimate the risk of heart attacks or strokes over the next decade and determine if preventative treatment is necessary.
Researchers questioned whether these same health indicators could also forecast cancer risk, given that many cancer causes overlap with those for cardiovascular disease. Factors like unhealthy lifestyle choices, aging, and smoking are known to elevate risks for both conditions.
The study analyzed data from over five million adults aged 40 to 84, drawing on anonymized records from the UK Biobank and primary care databases. The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer, evaluated four well-established cardiovascular risk calculators—QRISK3, the Pooled Cohort Equations, SCORE2, and SCORE2-OP—and compared their predictions with actual cancer cases over the following ten years.
Results showed that these calculators could estimate the risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers nearly as effectively as specialized cancer prediction models. They also demonstrated good performance in predicting risks for kidney, throat, stomach, and esophageal cancers.
The study highlights that smoking remains one of the strongest predictors of cancer, even after accounting for age and sex. Elevated blood pressure was also linked to higher cancer risk, though it likely serves as an indicator of other unhealthy behaviors rather than a direct cause.
Given that QRISK3 is frequently employed in NHS Health Checks, the researchers believe integrating cancer risk assessment could be straightforward, providing patients with valuable information that might motivate earlier lifestyle changes.
Preventing cancer is becoming increasingly vital, as many cases are partly preventable. Improving diet, staying active, avoiding tobacco, moderating alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight can lower the risk of multiple diseases simultaneously.
However, it’s important to interpret these findings with caution. These calculators cannot predict with certainty whether an individual will develop cancer and should not replace traditional screening methods. Instead, they could serve as additional tools to help doctors identify individuals who might benefit most from preventive interventions.
Overall, this extensive study indicates that existing heart disease risk models might have a secondary benefit—predicting cancer risk—thanks to their reliance on data routinely gathered during medical visits. If confirmed by further research, this approach could offer a practical way to enhance disease prevention efforts.
For those interested in cancer prevention, recent studies suggest that a low-carb diet could raise overall cancer risk, whereas vitamin D supplements may significantly lower the risk of cancer-related death. Additional research shows that dairy consumption, particularly milk, may influence the risk of heart disease and cancer, with higher dairy intake being linked to increased prostate cancer risk.
Source: University College London.