Title: What are the causes of cancer? - Cancer Research Institute (CRI)
Headings: What are the causes of cancer?
What are the causes of cancer?
April 23, 2019
CRI Staff
When does cancer occur?
Cellular Definition of Cancer
Where does cancer occur?
Cancer’s Point of Origin
Can you inherit cancer?
Genetic Causes of Cancers
Does behavior or lifestyle cause cancer?
Behavioral Causes of Cancer
Can where you live or work cause cancer?
Environmental Causes of Cancer
Do viruses or bacteria cause cancer?
Viral and Bacterial Causes of Cancer

Content: Another such genetic factor is the BRCA family of genes, certain forms of which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Today, scientists and clinicians are using and developing new tests to search for biomarkers, which can help determine risks and appropriate treatment options based on an individual patient’s genetic profile. Does behavior or lifestyle cause cancer? Behavioral Causes of Cancer
There are a number of behavioral factors that can lead to genetic mutations and, as a result, lead to the development of cancer. Tobacco
Tanning (excessive exposure to ultraviolet light)
Diet (red, processed meats)
Alcohol
Unsafe sex (leading to viral infection)
Inflammatory conditions, such as ulcerative colitis or obesity
An example of a behavioral risk factor is smoking, which can lead to lung cancer, or excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause skin cancer. Some dietary choices, including red meat and alcohol, have also been linked to certain types of cancer, while obesity is associated with higher rates of cancer as well, a link that CRI investigators Harvard Medical School’s Lydia Lynch, Ph.D., and University of California, San Diego’s Zhenyu Zhong, Ph.D., are independently exploring further. One’s diet can also affect the bacteria that reside within our intestines, known as the gut microbiome, and recent research by scientists, such as Johns Hopkins University’s Cynthia Sears, M.D., have revealed that certain bacteria can impact the likelihood of colorectal cancer development as well as patient responsiveness to treatment with immunotherapy. Can where you live or work cause cancer? Environmental Causes of Cancer
Exposure to certain factors in the environment, such as chemicals like asbestos and benzene, as well as talcum powder and various sources of radiation (including excessive X-rays), can also cause cancer. These substances capable of damaging DNA and triggering cancer are referred to as carcinogens.