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Can Your Lifestyle Choices Cause Cancer? Here's the Truth!
By Raveena M Prakash
Cancer is a deadly disease that has become a global concern across the world. However, lifestyle factors and choices play a huge role in developing cancer in people. People with bad lifestyles are more prone to developing cancer in their lifetimes. Lifestyle factors such as chronic stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking often increase the chance of developing cancer, and understanding these connections can help us make many healthier choices and reduce the burden of this life-threatening disease. If you are concerned about your lifestyle choices and what the risk factors for cancer are, then read further!
If you're wondering about how lifestyle choices cause cancer and want to learn more about the common causes of cancer, then this blog is for you!
In this article, we’ll discover more about how lifestyle factors such as smoking and cancer are related and how other risk factors that cause cancer and lifestyle diseases are connected!
Lifestyle risk factors for cancer
Here is how lifestyle factors and cancer are related:
Obesity: an increased weight
Lifestyle diseases such as obesity, and its connection and cancer is clear. Some research shows that excess body fat might increase the risk of different types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, uterine, esophageal, kidney, and pancreatic cancers.
Smoking and use of tobacco products
Smoking and the use of tobacco are considered the major risk factors for developing cancer in people. Smoking and tobacco use are also the leading controllable and preventable risk factors for causing cancer and other chronic illnesses.
Smoking is often linked to the leading causes of cancers such as lung, mouth, throat, bladder, and pancreatic cancers in people. This can also increase the risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and worsen asthma.
Chronic stress and poor sleep
People who are chronically stressed and have poor sleeping patterns might disrupt the hormonal balance, immune system, and mental clarity. Long-term stress levels often increase the levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, which already increases the risk of inflammation in people.
A poor sleep cycle often weakens the immune system along with the patient’s ability to repair damaged cells in the body, which is often crucial for cancer prevention. Many studies suggest that chronic stress patterns and poor sleep cycles also worsen health conditions and increase the risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure.
Alcohol consumption
According to WHO, alcohol consumption causes at least seven types of cancer in people, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel and breast cancer. The risk of developing cancer increases substantially the more alcohol consumed.
Excessive alcohol consumption always raises the risk of liver, colorectal, and esophageal cancer in people. Alcohol consumption increases the damage to the liver, leading to cirrhosis and fatty liver disease in people. Drinking alcohol with smoking becomes more dangerous to the body.
Poor, unbalanced diet
If a person follows a poor and unbalanced diet including red meat, processed foods, processed meats, and sugary, carbonated drinks. This might result in the chance of developing inflammation and oxidative stress. One of the leading causes of cancer diseases is chronic health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, high-fat and low-fiber diets are majorly associated with the development of colon and breast cancers. Along with low intake of fruits and vegetables, it might result in weakening the immune system. Excessive salt and sugar consumption contributes to the development of high blood pressure and obesity.
Physical inactivity
Lack of physical activity is considered the major risk factor for developing cancer. Lowered physical exercise and lack of physical movement slow down metabolism, resulting in insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and increasing weight gain.
Lowered physical activity leads to a risk of cancer, such as colon, breast, and endometrial cancers. Lowered physical exercise and less physical inactivity are considered the top contributors to lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Environmental factors and pollution
Lifestyle factors, including environmental factors such as the exposure to harmful chemicals and pollution, can increase the chance of developing cancer. There are some natural carcinogens, such as asbestos, and pesticides and air pollution also increase cancer in people.
Consult Today
Lifestyle factors can significantly increase the chance of developing cancer in people. Some studies suggest that only 5-10% of cancer cases are due to genetic disorders. Meanwhile, 90% of cancer cases are linked to various environmental and lifestyle factors. The habits of smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and physical inactivity can be controlled to avoid cancer in people with high risk. Additionally, exposure to chemical substances such as asbestos, UV radiation, and excessive sun exposure can be reduced or avoided. The majority of lifestyle risk factors can be managed and controlled, and the cancer associated with these risk factors can also be prevented from developing any cancer in people.
If you or any loved ones of yours are diagnosed with cancer or have any family history of cancer, then visit Oncare Cancer Center’s website and book an appointment to get a personalized consultation with our cancer specialists.
At Oncare, patients often receive personalized consultation along with premium-quality cancer treatment at affordable price ranges with an increased chance of recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several viruses that are known as risk factors for cancer development in people. These viruses may include:
- Human papillomavirus, also widely known as the risk of cervical cancer, is also linked to the cause of other head and neck, anal, vulva, vaginal, and penile cancers.
- Hepatitis B and C are also connected to the development of liver cancer in people.
- Additionally, HIV infection also increases the risk of cancers, including lymphoma and sarcoma.
However, there is a vaccine used to protect against HPV infection, popularly known as HPV vaccination. Using a protection barrier such as condoms reduces the chance of HIV and sexually transmitted viruses, which are also known as the risk factors of cancer as well.
There are some factors, such as natural carcinogens, that increase the risk of cancer and are closely associated with these environmental factors. Cancer takes years to develop in people. However, in some cases, people who are exposed to chemical substances such as asbestos, radiation, industrial chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, radon, and air pollution increase the risk of cancer in them.
The exposure to asbestos might damage the lungs and eventually lead to mesothelioma and lung cancer. Some industrial chemicals are also linked to the development of bladder cancer and upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). Some industrial chemicals are also linked to skin cancer.
Low immunity often means a person's system is not active or not working properly. One of the medical conditions is popularly known as HIV. This can also be the result of some treatments or medicines used to treat cancer. Low immunity is more likely to get an infection and more likely to develop cancers as well.
These cancers may include:
- Lymphoma
- Non-melanoma skin cancer
- Kaposi’s sarcoma
Cervical cancer: this cancer is caused by a virus such as human papillomavirus.
An inherited genetic condition that might increase the risk of developing cancer in a lifetime. There are some precancerous health conditions when the cells are found to have abnormal cell changes that might often lead to cancer when they go untreated.
Here are some of the genetic disorders that cause cancer:
- Lynch syndrome
- Hereditary leukemia and hematologic malignancy syndromes
- Familial adenomatous polyposis
- Cowden syndrome
- Hereditary breast & ovarian syndrome