It is estimated that each year, there are  41,000 lifestyle preventable cancers diagnosed in Australia. In an attempt to reduce this growing statistic, Cancer Australia has launched Check Your Cancer Risk, a new interactive online tool to help people understand how their lifestyle factors contribute to cancer risk.

The Check Your Cancer Risk tool and website are designed for individuals to assess their lifestyle factors, including weight, physical activity, diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and sun exposure, and to motivate them to take simple, achievable steps to reduce their risk of cancer.

A recent survey by Cancer Australia shows that while lifestyle factors such as tobacco smoking and UV radiation are well-known to contribute to cancer risk, other lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, excess weight and low levels of physical activity, are less widely recognised as risk factors for cancer.