DISEASES

CAUSED
BY POOR
DIET
(CANCER)
 WHAT • Some cancers are caused by things
people do:
FACTORS CAN • Smoking increases the chances of
developing lung, mouth, esophageal
CAUSE cancer

CANCER? • Excessive alcohol consumption also

increases the likelihood of liver,
stomach, or stomach cancer
• 40% of cancers are due to the action of
external agents acting on the body,
causing alterations in cells. Because
they are external, they are modifiable.
 • External agents are called risk
WHAT EXTERNAL factors or carcinogens. They
AGENTS ARE are substances that, in contact
AND HOW THEY with an organism, are able to
generate cancerous diseases
CAUSE CANCER? in it. Its nature is varied,
having found physical,
chemical and biological
factors.
 HOW LONG • For the cancer to originate,
DOES IT TAKE TO four to six mutations or
cellular genetic alterations
AFFECT ME BY must occur, so everything
AN EXTERNAL suggests that risk factors must
AGENT? be in contact with the body for
a considerable period of time
(years). This would also
explain that the risk of
developing cancer increases
over the years.
 • In some cases, very few, between
CAN I 5% and 7%, people have a
genetic predisposition to the
"INHERIT" A development of certain cancers.
CANCER? This happens because already
altered genes are inherited. The
result is that in these people the
likelihood of developing cancer
increases and the time required
for its onset is shorter than when
there is no such predisposition.
 OTHER • Physical agents include ionizing radiation (X-
rays), non-ionizing radiation (ultraviolet rays
EXTERNAL from the sun), and radiation emitted by the
Earth's own crust (radon). Another source of
AGENTS THAT carcinogenic physical agents is that caused by
nuclear accidents such as leaks at nuclear
CAN CAUSE power plants.

CANCER? • Entre los agentes físicos destacan las

radiaciones ionizantes (rayos X), las radiaciones
no ionizantes (rayos ultravioleta del sol) y las
radiaciones que emite la propia corteza
terrestre (radón). Otra fuente de agentes físicos
cancerígenos es la provocada por accidentes
nucleares como es el caso de las fugas
producidas en centrales nucleares.