Cancer Causes and Risk Factors

Diet, lifestyle, and genetics can factor into your chances of getting cancer. Discover the most common causes of cancer and the changes you can make that may decrease your risk.

Phthalates are in many types of plastic - person looking at a plastic bottle
Are Phthalates in Plastic Safe?
Colon polyp being removed
Ulcerative Colitis and Colon Cancer: What Is Your Risk?
Scientist testing DNA
Causes of Liposarcoma
DNA sequencing
Causes and Risk Factors of Fibrosarcoma
Scientists doing DNA testing in a lab
Causes and Risk Factors of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Environmental Pollutants
Dioxins: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
Multi ethnic research team studying DNA mutations. Female doctor in foreground
Causes and Risk Factors of Carcinoid Tumors
Strands of DNA (Conditions Associated With an Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-2 (IDH2) Mutation)
What Is an Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-2 (IDH2) Mutation?
Stevia granules
Does Stevia Cause Cancer?
Side view of smiling female doctor talking to boy with father in clinic
What Is Neuroblastoma?
DNA
What Is Bloom Syndrome?
Doctor dermatologist examines the subcutaneous wen on the patient's arm, close-up. Skin cancer, malignancy disease concept - stock photo
What Is a Benign Tumor?
Farmer with protective suit manual pesticide sprayer on her plantation
Does Glyphosate Cause Cancer?
black woman holding cell phone by water
Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer?
metformin tablet
Does Metformin Cause Cancer?
Oil refinery on Mississippi River near New Orleans, Louisiana
What Is Cancer Alley?
brewed yerba mate tea with leaves
Yerba Maté and Cancer
close up of woman sweetening coffee
Aspartame and Cancer
air fryer with french fries
Air Fryers and Cancer
Engineer at wind turbine farm
Do Windmills Cause Cancer?
Blister pack of medication
What Is Zantac Cancer?
woman taking pill
Omeprazole: Cancer Risk and Alternatives
Farmer spraying crops
Does Roundup Cause Cancer?
Grandmother with cancer holds grandchild or great-grandchild
Is Cancer Genetic?
oral DNA swab
What Is Genetic Testing for Cancer?
Female doctor in discussion with senior male patient and adult daughter in exam room - stock photo
Is Cancer Contagious?
Asian mother and child using a microwave oven
Can Microwaves Cause Cancer?
An ethnic senior woman battling cancer sits with her daughter on the couch
What Is Adenocarcinoma?
Family shopping for cosmetics
Do Antiperspirants Cause Cancer?
A doctor and cancer patient review test results.
What Is Carcinoma?
Snuff
Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer Risk
Asparagus
Does Asparagus Cause Cancer or Help Fight It?
Tobacco chewing pouches
Types of Smokeless Tobacco and Health Risks
Talcum powder
Does Talcum Powder Cause Cancer?
woman seasoning red meat
Does Red Meat Cause Cancer?
UV lamp and chemicals for nails may increase cancer risk
Do Acrylic Nails Cause Cancer?
Business person uses Bluetooth earbuds
Do Bluetooth Headphones Cause Cancer?
Bronchiolitis Obliterans (Popcorn Lung) Symptoms
Does Microwave Popcorn Cause Cancer?
What to Know About BRAF Mutations - Illustration by Jessica Olah
BRAF Mutation: Cancer Types, Testing, Treatment
Multi ethnic research team studying DNA mutations. Female doctor in foreground
Hereditary and Acquired Gene Mutations: Differences in Cancer
Cancer research laboratory, male scientist studied cells under the microscope
Causes and Risk Factors of Cancer
Chemotherapy Patient
What Is Oncogenesis?
Close up of DNA samples in microcentrifuge tubes during an experiment in the laboratory with the DNA profile on the monitor screen.
Understanding Loss of Heterozygosity and How It Affects Cancer
Cancer patient in hospice care.
What It Means to Have a Genetic Predisposition to Cancer
Close-up of person hand holding electronic cigarette
The Potential Health Hazards of Juuling
Doctors Explaining Test Results To Japanese Patient
An Overview of Lynch Syndrome
Woman getting cancer treatment
What are Oncogenes and Proto-Oncogenes?
Stressed man at work
The Links Between Stress and Cancer
Female patient in a doctor's office
Health Disparities in HPV-Related Cancers
BRCA gene mutation as a cause of cancer
BRCA2 Gene Mutations and Cancer Risk in Men and Women
Highball on table
Types of Cancer Caused by Drinking Alcohol
Sugar Cubes
The Link Between Sugar and Cancer
A young cancer patient looking out the window
Ciba-Geigy and the Toms River Cancer Cluster Settlement
gene mutation illustrating the non-BRCA gene mutations that raise breast cancer risk
The TP53 Gene and Its Role in Cancer
Cold Water Bottles on Ice
Does Freezing Plastic Water Bottles Cause Cancer?
A woman drinking a glass of iced water
Can Drinking Cold Water Cause Cancer?
woman getting a spray tan
Can Your Spray Tan Cause Cancer?
Can celiac disease cause cancer?
How Celiac Disease Affects Your Risk of Cancer
girl getting the Cervical Cancer Vaccine
How Some Viruses Cause Cancer
USA, Utah, Orem, carpenter at work
Wood Dust Exposure and Lung Cancer Risk