Study: Higher education, lower cancer risk

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- Higher education is good for the mind, and new research by the American Cancer Society says it's good for the body as well.

The study indicates people with a college degree or more than 16 years of education die less often from lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers, researchers said in a news release Monday on Ivanhoe Newswire.

Black and white men at that education level had a statistically significant decrease in death rates from prostate, lung and colorectal cancer, researchers said. The same reduction in mortality from breast, lung and colorectal cancer was seen in women as well.

The only exception was lung cancer among black women with higher education, researchers said. No significant reduction in death from that form of cancer was observed.

For people with less than 12 years of education, researchers found a reduction in breast cancer deaths but an increase in lung cancer mortality. Colon cancer deaths were higher for black men with the same educational level.

The research appeared in the July 8 online condition of Journal of the National Cancer Institute.