Key points
- A risk factor is something that increases the chance of developing a disease.
- Some examples of risk factors for cancer are alcohol, family health history, human papillomavirus (HPV), obesity, and tobacco.
![a man and a woman](/cancer/media/images/couple-1200x675-1.jpg)
Risk factors
Alcohol and cancer
![Young woman serving water infused with fruit for friends at a party](/cancer/media/images/infused-water.jpg)
Drinking alcohol raises your risk of getting six kinds of cancer. All alcoholic drinks are linked with cancer.
Family health history and cancer
![a large family](/cancer/media/images/family-1200x675-1.jpg)
Tell your doctor about your family health history to find out if you may have a higher cancer risk.
HPV and cancer
![a doctor giving an HPV vaccine to a boy while his mother looks on](/cancer/media/images/boy-vaccine-1200x675-1.jpg)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes almost all cervical cancers and several other kinds of cancer.
Obesity and cancer
![a person stepping onto a scale](/cancer/media/images/scale-1200x675-1.jpg)
Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.
Tobacco and cancer
![a woman with a portable oxygen tank](/cancer/media/images/woman-oxygen-1200x675-1.jpg)
Tobacco use can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body. Quitting can lower your risk.