Carcinogen #1: tobacco
The facts are alarming: The Canadian Cancer Society reports that two out of every five Canadians will develop cancer in his or her lifetime and cancer is the leading cause of premature death in this country.
But there are ways to reduce your risk. When it comes to prevention, it's important to eat well, exercise and see your doctor for age-appropriate screenings and tests. But it's also important to consider environmental and health factors. While you're at home, at work or at play, you could be living with cancer-causing substances, also known as carcinogens.
Cancer-causing substances
A carcinogen is anything that increases your risk of developing cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a list of 102 agents and groups of agents that are known to be carcinogenic to people. However, not everyone comes in contact with all of the agents on the list.
According to The Canadian Cancer Society, the four most common cancer-causing substances Canadians are exposed to are:
- tobacco
- UV light
- radon and;
- infectious diseases
“The impact of exposure to these substances on cancer risk is clear and substantial,” says Alexa Giorgi, a communications specialist for the Canadian Cancer Society. So reducing your exposure to these elements whenever possible can reduce your risk of developing cancer.
1. Tobacco
According to the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, nearly 5 million Canadians described themselves as smokers in the first half of 2007. And they ingest a list of carcinogens with every cigarette.
Along with a much longer list of agents that are categorized as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," tobacco smoke includes substances that are classified as "known carcinogens" such as:
- 4-Aminobiphenyl
- Benzene
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- 2-Naphthylamine
- Nickel
- Radon and;
- Vinyl chloride
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