Cancer: Body fitness plays an important factor

With recent research, there is a hunt for evaluating the genetic basis for a lot of cancers, and increasingly, researchers are finding that hereditary factors do play a role in the risk factors for cancer - as an example, women with a history of breast cancer in their family have an enhanced risk of developing breast cancer, and need to sign up for periodic scans and evaluations to determine that they are free of breast cancer. However, as this reasearch has developed, it has lead to a somewhat greater thought that eventually genetics is one of the most eminent reasons for developing cancer. To rebut this, experts are stating that in fact, genetics is much less important as a risk factor for causing cancer as compared to some other factors such as lack of exercise and body weight (link to article):

Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for the World cancer Research Fund (WCRF) dispelled the myth insisting lack of exercise and being overweight - causes three times as many cases of cancer as genetics. According to her, 39 per cent of the most common cancers, including breast and bowel, could be prevented through a good diet, exercising and keeping weight under control. "It’s important to dispel the myth that cancer is just down to genes," the Telegraph quoted Thompson as saying.
"It could possibly be even more than this, if only five per cent of cancers are as a result of our genes, then an unhealthy diet and lifestyle could cause eight times more cancer cases. "If people do have a family history, then this is important information for them personally, but overall this inherited genetic predisposition is uncommon. "Specific genes for breast and bowel cancer have been identified, but these are rare and account for a very small percentage of cancer cases, whereas more than a third of the most common cancers could be prevented by following a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight," she added.

This is a pretty clear statement; we all know that exercise and weight reduction are important factors to achieve a better health and reduce illnesses such as blood pressure, heart ailments and diabetes; one should also consider that the probability of cancer prevention is another benefit.