Cancer is a group of diseases. It can attack any part of the body. It is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. About 500,000 people die from cancer each year. The cause of most kinds of cancer is unknown. Scientists think some kinds of cancer can run in families. Other kinds of cancer are caused by what we eat and the way we live.

Lifestyle: The way we choose to live

Does cancer run in your family? Find out whether anyone in your family has cancer. Also find out whether anyone died from cancer before you were born. Check both your mother’s side and your father’s side. You might have a greater risk of cancer if family members have had cancer.

You can lower the risk of lung cancer if you quit smoking. You can lower the risk of skin cancer by protecting yourself while in the sun. Chewing tobacco and smokeless tobacco can cause cancer of the mouth, gums and throat. Too much alcohol can cause liver cancer and might cause breast cancer. These risks are linked to a lifestyle. You can decide to change your life and lower your risk of cancer.

Kane County Chronicle