Risk factors
A risk factor raises probability — it is not a cause and not a prediction. What is known, and which part of it is in your hands.
The figures at a glance
A risk factor is not a cause
A risk factor raises the probability that a disease appears — it does not cause it on its own and does not make it certain. People with many risk factors often never develop cancer; others with none do.
That does not make risk factors useless. At population level, reducing them translates into measurably fewer diagnoses. At individual level, they are the part of the equation you actually control.
Smoking
Smoking remains the single largest modifiable risk factor, and it is not only about the lung: it is linked to cancers of the bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, oesophagus, larynx, oral cavity and cervix.
Risk falls steadily after quitting, at any age. It does not return to that of someone who never smoked, but the improvement begins immediately and continues for years.
Alcohol
Alcohol is classified as a human carcinogen and is linked to cancers of the breast, colon, liver, oesophagus and the head and neck region. Risk rises with quantity, with no threshold below which it is considered zero.
Body weight, diet and movement
Excess body weight is linked to several cancers, including post-menopausal breast, endometrial, colorectal, kidney and pancreatic cancer. Physical activity is protective, partly independently of weight.
- More vegetables, pulses, fruit and wholegrain foods.
- Less processed meat and fewer sugary drinks.
- Regular movement — consistency matters more than intensity.
Infections that can be prevented
A share of cancers worldwide is caused by infections for which prevention or treatment exists:
- HPV — almost all cervical cancers, plus oropharyngeal and anogenital cancers. Vaccination is effective and is given in adolescence.
- Hepatitis B and C — hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B has a vaccine; hepatitis C is curable.
- Helicobacter pylori — stomach cancer. The infection can be detected and treated.
What you control and what you do not
Age, sex, genetic background and family history do not change. Smoking, alcohol, weight, movement, sun protection and vaccination do.
None of these changes guarantees anything at an individual level — and none replaces screening. Prevention and early detection work together, not instead of one another.
Frequently asked questions
If someone in my family had cancer, will I get it too?
Not necessarily. The great majority of cancers are not inherited. A family history with several cases, at young ages, or with particular combinations of tumours is worth assessing, however.
Is there a diet that prevents cancer?
No single food or supplement prevents cancer. There is an overall dietary pattern associated with lower risk. Be sceptical of anything promising more than that.
vgraphics.gr