Verified on 03/28/2024 by Alexane Flament, Editor

In 2023, there will be more than 430,000 new cases of cancer. This disease is the leading cause of death in men and the second in women.

What is the probability of getting cancer in your lifetime? We tell you everything.

Cancer: what are the risk factors?

Cancer does not result from a single factor and several causes can come into play at the same time.

Thus, there exists:

  • Internal risk factors. They are linked to age or family history. However, more than one cancer in ten has a hereditary origin. ;
  • External risk factors. These can be linked to the environment. “Repeated attacks on the DNA of cells by radiation (of nuclear or solar origin) or by industrial products promote the appearance of cancer cells” indicates the National Cancer Institute.
  • Smoking and alcohol consumption are the two most important risk factors. Other factors such as poor diet or exposure to the sun can promote the development of cancer.

However, according to Public Health France, approximately 41% of cancers in those over 30 were attributable to modifiable risk factors. This is the case with smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, excess weight, exposure to the sun, etc.

The probability of developing cancer during one’s lifetime is high.

Specialists estimate thatone in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.

Currently, cancers represent the leading cause of death in men and the second in women.

In 2023, the “number of new cases of cancer: 433,136, or 245,610 men and 187,526 women” indicates the Foundation for Medical Research (FMR).

The most common cancer in men is prostate, followed by lung and cancer colorectal. The most common cancer among women is breast, followed by colorectal and lung cancer.

Detecting cancer early greatly increases the chances of cure.

Some cancers can be detected using simple tests. These make it possible to identify, in a population at average risk of cancer, people who suffer from the disease, without symptoms.

Florine Cauchie

Health journalist

March 28, 2024, at 12:38 p.m.

Was this article useful to you?

Read also :