Risk Factors and Cancer

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The less alcohol you drink, the lower the risk for cancer. cdc.gov/cancer/alcohol/
Alcohol and Cancer

Drinking alcohol raises your risk of getting six kinds of cancer. All alcoholic drinks are linked with cancer.

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Family Health History and Cancer

Tell your doctor about your family health history to find out if you may have a higher cancer risk.

Photo of a doctor giving an HPV vaccine to a boy while his mother looks on
HPV and Cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes almost all cervical cancers and several other kinds of cancer.

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Obesity and Cancer

Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.

Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body. cdc.gov/cancer/tobacco/
Tobacco and Cancer

Tobacco use can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body. Quitting can lower your risk.

Preventing Cancer Across a Lifetime

CDC scientists and other experts explored ways to lower cancer risk at different ages: early childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, midlife, and older adulthood.

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Page last reviewed: February 18, 2021
Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention