Cancer today seems to be everywhere, affecting millions of people in America alone. Given all the possibilities, determining the actual cause of a specific cancer is next to impossible. However, many specialists believe that it stems from the interaction of multiple factors. These factors might be environmental, genetic, or involve a person’s lifestyle choices. As such, it is always important to attend regular cancer Houston screenings. The earlier you seek treatment, the higher the likelihood of successful therapy. Meanwhile, continue reading to discover the common risk factors for cancer.
1. Age
Cancer might take years to develop, which explains why many individuals diagnosed with the condition are in advanced age. However, this risk factor does not mean that younger people cannot develop the condition. In fact, in recent years, more and more teenagers and young adults have been diagnosed with cancer vindulge wine food travel lifestyle blog.
2. Family History
Only a small number of cancers result from inherited conditions. However, if one or more of your parents, siblings, or another close relative has a specific type of cancer, there is a possibility that you are genetically predisposed to develop cancer as well. In such cases, genetic testing is necessary to check whether you have inherited mutations that increase your cancer risk.
3. Radiation Exposure
Radiation exposure is another risk factor for the development of cancer. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation, primarily from sunlight, leads to skin cancers. Ionization radiation is also carcinogenic. X-rays and CTs utilize ionization radiation, and individuals who might have undergone many of these tests might have a slightly higher likelihood of developing cancer.
4. Tobacco Products
Tobacco products like cigarettes, vaping, and nicotine have numerous cancer-causing chemicals. Worse still, cigarette smoke does not only affect you but other people around you. Prolonged use of these products places you at risk of developing lung infections, and, eventually, lung or even throat cancer.
5. Diet
Your diet can also raise your risk of cancer. For example, a diet rich in unsaturated fat, and obesity itself, are associated with a greater likelihood of breast, colon, and potentially prostate cancer. Individuals who consume huge alcohol amounts are also more vulnerable to the liver and esophageal cancer.
6. Medications and Medical Procedures
Specific medication and health procedures can raise your likelihood of suffering from cancer. For instance, estrogen in hormonal birth control pills can raise the danger of breast cancer in persons who have used them for some time.
The hormones progesterone and estrogen provided to women during menopause as hormone therapy also raises the danger of breast cancer. Moreover, prolonged use of danazol, testosterone, and other male hormones can make you vulnerable to liver cancer.
7. Inflammatory Conditions
Inflammatory disorders frequently heighten the likelihood of cancer. Such conditions include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, making one vulnerable to the bile duct and colon cancer javaughn j. porter.
It is hard to determine why one individual suffers cancer, and another does not. Nevertheless, if you have one or more of these risk factors, you should take proper measures to reduce your risk. While factors like age and family are not controllable, others like smoking, medication use, diet, radiation exposure, and more are manageable with lifestyle adjustments. Talk to your doctor about your unique concerns to determine the best measures to reduce your risk.
