7 Leading Risk Factors For Cancer You Need To Know

For starters, it is relevant to cancers in the right perspective. By way of definition, a cancer is a malignant tumor or swelling compound of abnormal cells capable of undergoing uncontrolled proliferation. Many mistakenly believe that each swelling or lump is cancer. Unlike benign tumors, cancer cells often tend to invade surrounding tissues, and sometimes metastasis (spread out and break) to distant tissues of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Cancers result when there is an interruption of the normal process of cell division. Body cells are constantly during cell division, even in a controlled manner to replace the aging and dead cells. Arguably the cancer health issue is huge. Cancer is said to kill more people each year than HIV / AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2030, over 21 million new cancer cases were diagnosed with 13 million people who die of cancer every year. In addition, the statistics showed that 80,000 Nigerian women die from various forms of cancer each year with breast cancer on the list.

The complex interaction of various risk factors, some of which are discussed below determines who comes down with cancer and who does not:

1. Smoking
 

Cigarette smoke, active or passive is involved in the majority of cancers, including lung, nasopharynx, esophagus, and the prostate cancer to mention a few. Approximately 98% of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have a significant history of smoking and, fortunately, smoking cessation was associated with improved patient survival.

2. Obesity
 

Compared to people of normal weight and body mass index (BMI), obese people have an increased risk of certain cancers, including cancer of the pancreas, colon, kidney, esophagus, breast and endometrial, among others. High levels of estrogen have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Furthermore, obese people are more likely to have high blood levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) that promote the development of certain cancers. Studies have shown that overweight and obesity are 200-400% higher risk of endometrial cancer than their counterparts with normal BMI.

3. HIV / AIDS
 

Immunocompromised individuals, such as people living with HIV / AIDS are at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer. Three of these cancers, namely, Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer are referred to as AIDS-defining illnesses. Other types of cancer that are at risk include anal cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and lung cancer. Because HIV / AIDS weakens the immune system, it is believed that predispose to other infections that can cause cancer infection, for example human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in cancer of the uterus.

4. Excessive consumption of alcohol
 

Studies have shown that excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of mouth, throat, esophagus and liver cancer. Therefore, if you stop excessive alcohol consumption, the risk of these deadly cancers will be significantly lower.

5. Excessive exposure to sunlight
 

People who are exposed to intense sunlight inadvertently increase the risk of skin cancer. Numerous studies have implicated UV radiation (UV) in the pathology of skin cancers, including melanoma.

6. Family history
 

For most cancers, the people who have one or more close relatives (especially first degree relatives) who have been diagnosed with such cancers have a significantly higher risk. For example, a family history of breast cancer in a first degree relative is an important risk factor for this cancer. If a mother or sister is affected by breast cancer the risk of developing the disease is increased four folds.

7. Increasing age
 
As people age increases the risk for most cancers also tends to increase.