New research out shows that nearly two-thirds of all cancer is unavoidable and can crop up naturally in the body.

  • However, 40 percent of cancers are preventable, says new study

We all have heard that smoking leads to cancer and we can avoid the disease by simply not smoking. However, researchers are saying not all cancers can be avoided.

Roughly 66 percent of the total mutations are random and about 29 percent on cancer cases are due to the environment and the remaining 5 percent are caused by heredity, according to Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a pioneer in cancer genetics at Johns Hopkins Medicine who co-authored a new study, reported the journal Science.

The good news is that 40 percent of cancers are in fact preventable, according to the new study.

People can reduce their risk of preventable cancer by avoiding tobacco, eating well and maintaining a healthy body weight.