Environmental factors that increase cancer risk

Things might have been different for their parents, but many adults now in middle-age and those younger than them grew up cognizant of the dangers of smoking tobacco. Educational campaigns and efforts on the part of lawmakers to curb smoking have proven effective, and the numbers don't lie. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates that smoking declined considerably between 2005, when roughly 21 percent of adults smoked, and 2020, when the number dipped to 12.5 percent. Avoiding tobacco is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, as cigarettes, chew, cigars and other tobacco products have long been linked to a higher risk for cancer. Though many adults were taught the dangers of smoking since they were young children, tobacco use is not the only environmental risk factor associated with a higher cancer risk. In addition to avoiding tobacco, individuals can learn about some additional environmental risk factors that can increase their chances of being diagnosed with cancer. Alcohol The Cancer Treatment Centers of America notes that regular consumption of alcohol over time increases a person's risk for cancer. In fact, the DHHS includes alcoholic beverages on its list of known carcinogens. According to the National Cancer Institute, the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time, the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer becomes. One study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2013 estimated that 3.5 percent of cancer deaths in the United States were alcohol-related. Unhealthy weight Obesity is another environmental risk factor that increases a person's risk for various cancers, including colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer and kidney cancer, among others. Unfortunately, the link between obesity and cancer is not as widely recognized as the link between tobacco use and cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research noted in its 2015 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey that just 52 percent of respondents were aware that overweight/obesity was a significant risk factor for cancer. By contrast, 94 percent of respondents were aware of the link between tobacco and cancer. Ultraviolet radiation The CTCA reports that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, affecting more than 3.5 million Americans every year. And those numbers are on the rise. Scientists believe that ultraviolet rays from the sun, sunlamps and/or tanning beds may cause damage to cell DNA that leads to melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. Education about the dangers of tobacco use and its link to cancer have done wonders in terms of raising awareness about the importance of avoiding smoking. Further education about additional risk factors could prove equally effective in the years to come.