What Causes Cancer

What causes cancer to start? There are many causes or risks for the disease. They can snowball your genetic disposition for developing tumor.

The list of risks factors includes: the controllable and uncontrollable causes.

What are controllable risks? They are causes that are within your control and can be avoided. Prevention of these causes is doable as they are recognized as environmental factors and lifestyle habits.

What are the 9 lifestyle causes of malignant tumors?

1. Smoking

The use of tobacco is what causes cancer in the lungs to start. Tobacco includes cigarettes, cigars and even smokeless tobacco. Tobacco is a well-known, leading and proven carcinogen.

Read how smoking causes tumors in the dangers of smoking.

If you don't smoke, you might think you have absolute protection against tobacco causes. But if you live in an environment of second-hand smoking, the smoke you are exposed to is even worse.



2. Too Much Drinking

Excessive drinking causes tumors in the liver and other types as well. Studies report that alcohol is a carcinogen by itself and acts as a co-carcinogen to tobacco. So if you smoke and drink, prevention against different cancers is likely impossible.

If you want to know why, check out the link between cancer and alcohol. Too much drinking also plays a role on what causes prostate cancer.

Click here for info on the short term effects of alcohol.



3. Unhealthy Eating Habits or Unhealthy Foods

Are you aware that your unhealthy eating habits can lead to choosing unhealthy foods over healthy foods? These unhealthy foods may be foods that cause cancer.

Prevention is easier when you choose healthy foods.



4. Obesity or Being Overweight

Lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits are two of the causes of obesity or being overweight. Obesity can increase your risk for certain types of tumor.

Related Articles:

Cause and Effect of Obesity
Effects of Obesity: Health and Disease Problems



5. Toxic Stress

What causes cancer? Is stress one of the risks? Until today, many experts are not certain of the role of stress in increasing your risk and in the prevention of many types of diseases.

Still, scientists acknowledge that stress can greatly affect your body. Find out how in Definition of Stress.



6. Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation

UV radiation comes either from the sun, tanning booths or beds, or sunlamps. It is proven to be what causes skin cancers.

And the bad news is UV radiation doesn't only harm your skin; it also leads to other malignant tumors. Read more: Health Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation




7. Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

What is ionizing radiation? It is emitted by radioactive fallout, x-rays, radon gas and even radiation therapy used in treating tumor. It is a fact that ionizing radiation leads to secondary cancers. The most common type associated with ionizing radiation is growth of tumor in your lungs.

The 1986 Chernobyl disaster also led to an increase in thyroid tumor.

Read more:

Cancers: Effects of Exposure to Radiation
Harmful Effects of Exposure to Radiation



8. Occupational Hazards

Occupational hazards include cancer-causing agents or chemicals that are found in certain work places. One example is asbestos, which is proven to be what causes lung tumor.



9. Viruses and Bacteria

It is proven that malignant tumors are not contagious. But many types of tumor are results of some viruses and bacteria. One of the examples of cancer causing viruses is the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV. It causes tumors in the cervix when left untreated. And surprisingly, it is also a risk factor for a deadly type of skin tumor -- squamous cell skin carcinoma.



These environmental factors and lifestyle habits are what cause tumors. They can be prevented. Any unhealthy choice you make creates damaging changes in your genes known as somatic mutations or acquired mutations.

Taking the time to understand what causes cancer will help you make an informed decision. Learn the steps on prevention. You and your family deserve nothing less than a quality life lived in freedom from the disease.