This reported today in Nature. I'm afraid that I rather expected this after I saw the interview with Dr Kat Arney on Sky News yesterday morning. Cancer Research UK released a rather nothing report about the risk factors for cancer - smoking, drinking, obesity, lack of exercise and not eating enough fruit and veg. Eamonn Holmes tried hard to get to what's new in the report and eventually Dr Arney acknowledged what scientists have known for some time - there is a strong gene-environment interaction with many cancers. This means that 40% of all types of cancers in men and women are related to lifestyle choices, but by no means accounts for the majority of cancers.
Aside from emphasising these important risk factors, the only other benefit I could determine was getting Cancer Research UK into the headlines. It's been a tough few years for all charities, and medical charities are no different. Indeed, my own research career is subject to the vagaries of funding from these important bodies. We were warned of the impact of the austerity measures on research and it boiled down to this - no new funding for any research groups other than those at top institutions for some time (rumour has it around 12-15 months).
Keeping the charity in the news, even with old news, will prompt donors into action, especially at this time of year. Cynical? Hell yes!