Cancer Risk Factors

Age is the biggest risk factor for getting cancer. However, the following risk factors affect a person's chances of getting cancer and dying from cancer:

• Cigarette smoking and other tobacco use
• Physical inactivity
• Poor diet
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of access to care
• Environmental exposure (e.g. sun, radiation, secondhand smoke)
• Infectious agents (e.g. human papillomavirus, or HPV)

According to the CDC and the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoking (and other tobacco use) is the leading risk factor for developing and dying from several diseases, including cancer. Smoking causes 123,800 deaths from lung cancer, and 34,700 deaths from other cancers each year in the U.S. In Virginia, about 4,100 people will die from cancer yearly, with the majority of theses cases being lung cancer.

Inhaling secondhand smoke can increase the chance of getting lung cancer by up to 30%. In the U.S., there are 3,000 deaths from lung cancer each year among non-smokers who breathe secondhand smoke.

Lack of physical activity, poor diet, and being overweight or obese are leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. According to the National Cancer Institute, 35% of cancer deaths can be related back to a diet high in saturated fat and low in fiber, fruits and vegetables. According to one study (Calle et al., 2003), being overweight or obese accounted for up to 20% of all cancer deaths.

Lack of health insurance coverage and access to healthcare can reduce the chances of being diagnosed with cancer and treated early and surviving cancer. According to a national study by the American Cancer Society in 2007, people without health insurance were almost twice as likely to die within five years of being diagnosed with cancer than people with health insurance. Uninsured people were less likely to get screened for cancer, more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and their survival rate was lower.

For full-version fact sheet (in PDF), click on Cancer Risk Factors.

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