What Conclusions Can You Draw About Who Is At Risk For Developing Cancer?

Age, weight, exposure to carcinogens, and genetics can increment the take chances of developing cancer. Learn more from this Did You lot Know? video produced by NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) plan.

It is normally not possible to know exactly why one person develops cancer and another doesn't. But research has shown that certain chance factors may increase a person's chances of developing cancer. (There are likewise factors that are linked to a lower take chances of cancer. These are sometimes called protective risk factors, or just protective factors.)

Cancer risk factors include exposure to chemicals or other substances, too as sure behaviors. They also include things people cannot control, similar age and family unit history. A family history of certain cancers can be a sign of a possible inherited cancer syndrome. (See the Hereditary Cancer Syndromes section for more information about inherited genetic mutations that can crusade cancer.)

Most cancer hazard (and protective) factors are initially identified in epidemiology studies. In these studies, scientists look at large groups of people and compare those who develop cancer with those who don't. These studies may show that the people who develop cancer are more or less likely to conduct in certain means or to be exposed to certain substances than those who practice non develop cancer.

Such studies, on their ain, cannot evidence that a behavior or substance causes cancer. For example, the finding could be a result of chance, or the truthful hazard factor could be something other than the suspected risk cistron. Simply findings of this type sometimes become attention in the media, and this can pb to wrong ideas most how cancer starts and spreads. (See the Common Cancer Myths and Misconceptions page for more information.)

When many studies all betoken to a similar association between a potential hazard factor and an increased hazard of cancer, and when a possible mechanism exists that could explicate how the risk gene could actually cause cancer, scientists tin can be more confident about the relationship between the two.

The listing below includes the virtually-studied known or suspected risk factors for cancer. Although some of these hazard factors can exist avoided, others—such every bit growing older—cannot. Limiting your exposure to avoidable chance factors may lower your take chances of developing sure cancers.