Definition of Cancer causes
Cancer causes: In most individual cases of cancer, the exact
cause of cancer is unknown. The causes may include increased genetic
susceptibility; environmental insults, such as chemical exposure or
smoking cigarettes; lifestyle factors, including diet; damage caused
by infectious disease; and many more.
Although they are not causes
per se, many characteristics can influence the development of cancer.
These include gender, race, age, and the health of the patient's
immune system. When common causes for a type of cancer are
discovered, this information can be very helpful in prevention and
sometimes in treatment.
For example, the link between overexposure to
the sun and skin cancer is well-known, and individuals can easily
reduce their risk by avoiding suntanning and sunburns.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer for both men and women.
The second most
common cancer in men is prostate cancer, in women it is breast
cancer. Lung cancer is the
leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in the U.S.
Cancer is NOT
contagious.
Last Editorial Review: 2/1/2001Common Misspellings: canser causes
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