By Joel Dresse

Cancer is a very deadly disease. This disease is one of the most deadly in terms of numbers killed year in and out. According to statistics one in three people will be affected by cancer. And one in four people will die of cancer. However cancer could be prevented in certain situations. The first step in cancer prevention is learning what causes it and the risk factors involved. Avoiding these risk factors can help a person reduce the likelihood of having cancers.

Here are the following risk factors that a person can avoid to prevent cancer.

1. Tobacco – 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States are caused by smoking. It is also responsible for 87% of all people affected by lung cancer. Aside from the lungs, other organs affected by smoking are pancreas, cervix, kidney, stomach and also cause acute myeloid leukemia. Quit smoking to decrease your chances of having cancer. Also try to avoid secondary smoke, secondary smoke can also be deadlier.

2. Have more physical activity – exercise greatly helps reduce your chances of having cancer. Even if it is only for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Exercising will also make you fit against other disease such as heart ailments. Try the exercise activities such as walking, running, aerobics, or yoga. Exercising can also help prevent obesity, which is also one major cause of cancer. Colon, breast, prostrate, endometrial, and lung cancer can have less chances of developing if you are exercising regularly.

3. Genetics – genetics is one of the causes of cancers. When your family has a history of cancer, the best thing to do is just take precaution. If your family has had a history of cancer, the mutated gene which causes cancer may have been passed down. If your family has had a history, you may get a genetic test. Remember that if your family has had a history of cancer it is not certain that you will have it. Your chances of developing it are just greater.

4. Environmental Factors – exposure to certain things within your environment can cause you cancer. Such things like asbestos or benzene can be able to cause cancer.

5. Unsafe Sex – you are suddenly exposed to not only HIV but also HPV. HPV is also known as Human Pappiliona Virus. Having this virus greatly increase a person’s chance of having anal, vulvar, cervical, or vaginal cancer. There are tests that help a person find out if he or she has the HPV virus. You will need to scrape the cervical cells and send them over to a lab.

6. Sun Exposure – greatly exposing yourself to UV rays will cause skin cancer. Be very wise when tanning or being exposed under the sun.

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