Table 1 Risk factors, exposure levels and studied cancer sites
From: Proportion of cancer in a Middle eastern country attributable to established risk factors
| Risk factor | Exposure level | Sources of Data | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prevalence of exposure | Relative Risk | ||
| Tobacco smoking | Current smoker, former smoker (cessation mean 8.9 years) | Sibai et al. [14] (WHO) |
Lung [42] Bladder [43] Larynx [42] Esophagus [42] Stomach [42] Liver [42] Pancreas [42] Cervix [42] |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) |
Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) Obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) | Sibai et al. [14] (WHO) |
Esophageal and gastric cardia [44] Colon and Rectal [45] Liver [46] Endometrial [47, 48] Renal cell [49] Pancreatic [50] Ovarian [51] Breast [29] |
| Physical Activity |
High (7 days of 3000 MET-minutes/week OR 3 days of 1500 MET-minutes/week) Moderate (≥3 days vigorous intensity, OR ≥5 days moderate intensity, OR ≥5 days ≥600 MET-minutes/week) Low: less than the moderate activity | Sibai et al. [14] (WHO) |
Breast [52] Bladder [53] Gastroesophageal [54] Colorectal [55] |
| Adherence to Mediterranean Diet |
9-point scale adherence to Mediterranean diet score Low: 0–3, moderate 4–5, and high 6–9 points. | Using nationally representative dietary intake data of Lebanese adults aged between 20 and 55 years (unpublished data) |
Gastric [56] Colorectal [57] Bladder [58] |
| Alcohol consumption | Heavy: More than 50 g per day | Sibai et al. [14] (WHO) |
Oropharyngeal and Esophageal [59] Liver [59] Colon [59] Breast [59] |
| Infection | Percentage of H. Pylori infections in the Lebanese population | Naja et al. [17] | Gastric [60] |
| Air pollution (PM10 PM2.5) |
Levels exceeding WHO standards: PM10: 20 μg/ m3 PM2.5: 10 μg/ m3 |
Saliba et al. [18] Saliba et al. [19] | Lung [40] |