This tumor can invade healthy tissues nearby and interfere with their functioning. Several factors can increase your risk of cancer. Most lung cancers, for example, are caused by cigarette smoke. What you eat or don't eat can raise or lower your risk of colon cancer. And being overweight can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer.
Some cancers run in families.
For example, if you're a woman and your mother or sister had breast cancer, you are at higher risk yourself. Anyone of any age can get cancer, but some people are more at risk of cancer than others. 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.