Cancer research is being conducted widespread across the globe, and more and more breakthroughs are being discovered. Thanks to recent reports and developments, the survival rates of cancer have increased. Medical specialists and doctors are now sharing this knowledge with people to understand what triggers cancer and how it can be prevented. Though cancers of all types cannot be 100% cured as a lot of research is still going on in that field, you can prevent it with awareness.

Dr.Paolo Boffetta is an esteemed Italian cancer epidemiologist engaged in its research. He currently stays in New York and is the Director of the Institute for Translational Epidemiology and Associate Director for Population Sciences of The Tisch Cancer Institute. He also holds the post of Bluhdorn Professor of International Community Medicine and has been and is still attached to several prestigious medical centers for cancer research in the past and present.   

The following are the chief causes of cancer-

1. Smoking – One of the biggest causes of cancer deaths is smoking. You might want to stop now if you know that it is the number one cause of most cancers in the world. If you find it hard to quit, you should join counseling groups and take their help to stop smoking and is a high-risk factor for cancer.
2. Obesity – This is the second leading cause of cancer after smoking. Individuals should check their body weight and eat a healthy balanced diet rich with fresh fruits and vegetables. If the body carries too much weight, this causes more harm than good.
3. UV rays and excessive sunlight – Exposure to UV rays and intense sunlight causes skin cancer.
4. Alcohol – Heavy drinkers of alcohol are at risk of cancer. Doctors advise that if you want to lead a cancer-free life, quit drinking now.
5. Physical activity – Being physically active reduces cancer to a large extent. Obesity can increase your risks for cancer and other ailments like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.
6. Air pollution – exposure to radon and other harmful pollutants in the air increases your risks of cancer.
7. Hormones – Hormone change in the body can be another cause of cancer. Natural hormones change in the body of a woman during puberty, pregnancy, and in the later ages, menopause. Lifestyle choices like taking the pill, hormone replacement therapy, alcohol, and being overweight increases the risk.
8. Inherited genes – Genes inherited from your family increase your chances of getting cancer.

Dr. Paolo Boffetta sums up that cancer generally surfaces in older people; however, it can occur at any age. With age, the cells in the human body get damaged, and as people grow older, the above leads to cancer. However, recent research in the past 20 years has given the medical community hope that if people are aware of cancer’s chief causes, they can take preventive measures to avert it. The first step is a simple one to leading a cancer-free life, and that is by eating healthy and making good lifestyle choices as you grow older- the sooner, the better!