Hello again! In our last conversation, we talked about what cancer is and the most common types. Today, we're going to talk about something also very important: the causes and risk factors for cancer.
Cancer occurs when normal cells in our body transform and begin to grow out of control1. This transformation can be caused by a number of things, but it is often due to genetic mutations. These can be inherited from our parents or acquired throughout our lives2.
A risk factor is anything that increases our chances of having a disease. For cancer, some of the most common risk factors include3:
Although we cannot control all risk factors, there are many that we can modify to reduce our chances of developing cancer. Not smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and protecting ourselves from the sun are just some of the actions we can take4.
Knowing that there are risk factors for cancer can be scary. But remember, having a risk factor doesn't mean you're definitely going to get cancer. And at the same time, it is possible to develop cancer without having known risk factors.
The key is to stay informed, live as healthy as possible and get regular checkups. We're here to support you every step of the way.
For more information on the causes of cancer and its risk factors, we encourage you to visit the National Cancer Institute5 and the American Cancer Society6. See you next time!
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