Risk Factors for Cancer

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class="embedded-entity align-right"> <figure class="video "> <div aria-labelledby="media--1116563" id="ytplayer-jC8CUIID2HA" class="flex-video widescreen" data-video-url="https://www.cancer.gov/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DXSTabmQhAOc&max_width=0&max_height=0&hash=-nWc1Ow8e4F88DQ43wUr30RyNlNViBBG3DekgvPfpx4" data-video-title="Risk Factors for Cancer | Did You Know?"> <div class="video-preview--container" tabindex="0" role="button" aria-label="Play video"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/g/files/xnrzdm211/files/styles/video_display_small/public/cgov_image/override_video_thumbnail/2024-10/riskfactors-highres-thumbnail.jpg?itok=ch4whHbx" width="1982" height="1487" alt> <div class="video-preview--play-button"> <svg height="100%" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 68 48" width="100%"> <path class="play-button--bg" d="M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z" fill="#212121" fill-opacity="0.8" /> <path d="M 45,24 27,14 27,34" fill="#fff" /> </svg> </div> <p>Risk Factors for Cancer | Did You Know?</p> </div> </div> <figcaption class="caption-container" id="media--1116563"> <p>Aspects of a person's age, family history, lifestyle, and environment can increase the risk of developing cancer. Learn more from this Did You Know? video produced by NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.</p> </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p></p> <p>It is usually not possible to know exactly why one person develops cancer and another doesn鈥檛. But research has shown that certain risk factors may increase a person鈥檚 chances of developing cancer. (There are also factors that are linked to a lower risk of cancer. These are sometimes called protective risk factors, or just protective factors.)</p> <p></p> <p>Cancer risk factors include exposure to chemicals or other substances, as well as certain behaviors. They also include things people cannot control, like age and family history. A family history of certain cancers can be a sign of a possible inherited cancer syndrome. (See the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics" data-entity-uuid="d6d1d719-5177-4b60-a667-31de94c58624">Hereditary Cancer Syndromes</a> section for more information about inherited genetic mutations that can cause cancer.)</p> <p>Most cancer risk (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鈥檛. These studies may show that the people who develop cancer are more or less likely to behave in certain ways or to be exposed to certain substances than those who do not develop cancer.</p> <p>Such studies, on their own, cannot prove that a behavior or substance causes cancer. For example, the finding could be a result of chance, or the true risk factor could be something other than the suspected risk factor. But findings of this type sometimes get attention in the media, and this can lead to wrong ideas about how cancer starts and spreads. (See the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths" data-entity-uuid="62510983-83ae-4f1a-a09e-bb7f88d1f817">Common Cancer Myths and Misconceptions</a> page for more information.)</p> <p>When many studies all point to a similar association between a potential risk factor and an increased risk of cancer, and when a possible mechanism exists that could explain how the risk factor could actually cause cancer, scientists can be more confident about the relationship between the two.</p> <p>The list below includes the most-studied known or suspected risk factors for cancer. Although some of these risk factors can be avoided, others鈥攕uch as growing older鈥攃annot. Limiting your exposure to avoidable risk factors may lower your risk of developing certain cancers.</p> <ul> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/age" data-entity-uuid="59f24c4b-5297-4535-9bbb-543d5b82ba3f">Age</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol" data-entity-uuid="8bb9055f-9eb5-4a2d-83b5-789b33188c23">Alcohol</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances" data-entity-uuid="ac012a94-44ae-4b5b-ba30-27d056ba9a84">Cancer-Causing Substances</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/chronic-inflammation" data-entity-uuid="1f86ebb6-5d28-404a-8024-f16289294d26">Chronic Inflammation</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet" data-entity-uuid="0d598040-a643-428b-ac47-dcaeeff1b29c">Diet</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones" data-entity-uuid="3aee212a-4d7d-474a-8064-b9164e00d4cb">Hormones</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/immunosuppression" data-entity-uuid="6fb26f3f-a212-4ba6-b551-8acbcc6f8a12">Immunosuppression</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents" data-entity-uuid="d2343022-faa6-4125-a083-221331bacfa6">Infectious Agents</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity" data-entity-uuid="383d4cea-45b6-419d-8a30-b655a4b1de51">Obesity</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation" data-entity-uuid="afd63216-5120-43d6-8084-cb6288db0845">Radiation</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/sunlight" data-entity-uuid="7e6ad8a1-b3f9-461b-998a-efa0019d7086">Sunlight</a></li> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco" data-entity-uuid="ddccf1fb-6a71-4fd7-bdff-fa9f69f60e47">Tobacco</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <footer class="article-footer"> <div id="nvcgRelatedResourcesArea"> <div> <aside class="related-resources list"> <h2 class="related-resources__heading">Related Resources</h2> <ul> <li class="general-list-item general list-item title-only"> <div class="title-and-desc title desc container"> <a class="title" href="/about-cancer/causes-prevention/patient-prevention-overview-pdq">Cancer Prevention Overview (PDQ庐)鈥揚atient Version</a> </div> </li> </ul> </aside> </div> </div> <div class="document-dates horizontal"> <ul class="clearfix"> <li> <strong>Updated:</strong> <time datetime="2015-12-23T12:00:00Z">December 23, 2015</time> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="block-ncids-trans-syndication-message"> <div class="syndication"> <div> <p>Want to use this content on your website or other digital platform? 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