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Knowledge for policy

Knowledge Centre on Cancer

We foster scientific and technical coordination of EU activities on cancer, while expanding the EU’s capacities and systems for prevention, early detection, treatment and care.

  • Page | Last updated: 21 Jun 2021

Risk factors for cancer

Diet, insufficient physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Cancer

Certain risk factors may increase a person’s chances of developing cancer. These include exposure to carcinogenic substances, as well as certain behaviours. Other factors can be protective by lowering the chances of developing cancer. Some of these factors, such as age or family history, cannot be modified. However, a large proportion of cancer burden can be prevented by controlling the so-called avoidable risk factors.

Some of the most-studied avoidable risk factors for cancer include:

  • alcohol consumption,
  • specific chemicals,
  • unhealthy diet,
  • carcinogenic infections (i.e. Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human papillomavirus (HPV))
  • overweight and obesity,
  • environmental pollution,
  • insufficient physical activity,
  • exposure to radiation, including from the sun,
  • tobacco and smoking.

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Knowledge Gateway provides reliable and up-to-date information on the health effects of such modifiable risk factors, i.e. smoking, alcohol consumption, different nutrition aspects (for example whole grain, or fruit and vegetables) and physical activity, as well as the recommended related policies.