Launch of new European Code Against Cancer

Launch of new European Code Against Cancer (14 October 2014)

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) launched the fourth edition of the European Code Against Cancer which recommends 12 individual actions to reduce cancer risk. Emphasizing lifestyle choices, the code recommends avoiding tobacco, harmful drinking, and excessive sun exposure, also advising Europeans to be physically active and maintain a healthy diet and body weight.

This updated Code’s recommendation regarding alcohol reads as follows:

• “If you drink alcohol of any type, limit your intake. Not drinking alcohol is better for cancer prevention »

In comparison, the previous (3rd) version of this Code said:

• “If you drink alcohol, whether beer, wine or spirits, moderate your consumption to two drinks per day if you are a man or one drink per day if you are a woman”. 

In a press release, IARC noted that 13 Member States had joined the EU since the previous edition of the code was released in 2003, and stated that the updated version accounts for the integration of “a greater diversity of people with a variety of lifestyles and associated cancer risk into the EU.”

The updated Code (created in 1987) is the result of a project coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and co-financed by European Commission’s Health Programme. It is the outcome of a two-year collaborative work between cancer specialists, scientists, and other experts from across the European Union.

International Agency for Research on Cancer, October 14, 2014: http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2014/pdfs/pr228_E.pdf