Cancer Risk Factors and Statistics
Cancer risk factors can include one or several of the following: sexual behavior, family medical history, radiation, polluted environment, poor diet, use of alcohol and tobacco.
Cancer statistics related to these risk factors show that 40% all deaths connected with cancer (in the US) had to do with alcohol abuse and smoking habits. Another third of all deaths was caused by poor eating habits. Most cases of skin cancer are related to the exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. Other causes of cancer include occupational hazards and family history.
Tobacco
According to cancer statistics, from 80% to 90% of lung cancer cases have to do with smoking. This habit can negatively affect the patient’s overall health and very important organs, such as pancreas, upper respiratory tract, kidney, stomach, larynx and bladder. Passive smoking (inhalation of smoke from other people's cigarettes by a nonsmoker) can also increase the risk of developing cancer.
Alcohol Abuse
Liver cancer is one of the possible consequences of excessive drinking. Combined with smoking, alcohol abuse contributes to the development of the following types of cancer: cancer of the esophagus, mouth, larynx and pharynx.
Poor Diet
Obesity as a result of poor eating habits can lead to breast cancer, prostate cancer, gallbladder cancer, colon cancer, rectum cancer, uterus cancer and ovarian cancer. Dietary factors are thought to be responsible for as much as one third of all cancers.
Sexual Behavior
A number of viruses that may contribute to the development of cancer are thought to be passed during the intercourse. Sexual promiscuity is a very serious cancer risk factor, as some people may have different partners every time. Certain reproductive behavior can also add to the probability, as females who didn’t have children or had them late are more likely to develop ovarian or breast cancer.
Family History
Cancers can be passed through generations. People whose parents or grandparents had colon, ovarian, breast or uterus cancer are also likely to be affected.
Polluted environment
Industries producing harmful substances and releasing them into the environment can also have an impact. Water and air pollution are thought to be responsible for 1% of deaths connected with this disease, as our body affected with chemical pollutants is unable to fight cancer.
Radiation
Melanoma is developed by people exposed to ultraviolet radiation for long periods of time. However, there are other sources of radiation used on an everyday basis: radon gas, nuclear materials and X-rays. Altogether these sources can be blamed for 1-2% of all deaths.
Occupational Hazards
Your job can also influence the likeliness of developing cancer – occupational hazards account for 4% of all the causes of cancer. It has to do with inhaling hazardous materials, as, for example, in the case of asbestos. People working with this material are more likely to have lung cancer. Other types of cancer than can develop because of particular working conditions are:
• For people working with gas, dye and rubber: bladder cancer.
• For people working with X-rays and other kinds of radiation (uranium): bone marrow and lung cancer.
• For people working with arsenic, as well as those working in gold mines and smelters: skin and lung cancer.
• For people working with varnish and glue: leukemia.
• For people working with polyvinyl chloride plastics: liver cancer.
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