If you know your risks, you can help prevent cancer or catch it early so it can be treated. A man's risk increases as he gets older. Breast cancer rates increase with age. A woman ho has never had children or had her first child after age 30 is at higher risk than other women. Drinking alcohol, lack of physical activity, and a high-fat diet may also raise a woman's risk.
Caucasian women have a higher risk that women of other races.
If you smoke, you have a much higher risk of getting lung cancer than people who don't smoke. That's one reason why certain groups who have higher smoking rates, such as African-American men and women, or Southeast Asian men, have a higher risk of lung cancer. People who have such polyps have a higher risk than others. There is a lot you can do to lower your risk for many types of cancer. Regular cancer screenings can help you and your doctor detect cancer early, when it is easier to treat.