The Most Common Carcinogens To Know & Avoid

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages are frequently ignored when discussing carcinogens, but they can actually cause many types of cancer. In women, alcohol increases breast cancer risk, because alcohol alters hormones and increases levels of hormones associated with breast cancer. Alcohol is also associated with an increased risk of some types of esophageal, mouth, and intestinal cancers. Alcoholic beverages cause these types because they damage the cells lining the gastrointestinal system as you drink them. If you drink heavily, you can also raise your risk of liver cancer because regular excessive alcohol consumption harms the liver.

It is best to avoid alcohol altogether, of course, but if you still want to drink, stay within liquor guidelines. Try to avoid drinking more than one drink a day or more than four drinks on a single occasion. Keep in mind a drink is usually defined as twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

Radon

An abundance of epidemiological and biological data and evidence has been established that shows the association between the development of lung cancer and exposure to radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally occurring on the earth when an element called uranium goes through a natural radioactive decay process. Radon can be found in water, rocks, and soil, and can easily make its way into the air an individual breathes. When radon escapes into the air outdoors, it rapidly dilutes and does not cause much of a problem or health concern.

However, radon concentrations become much higher indoors and in water treatment facilities, mines, and caves. When an individual inhales the radioactive particles of radon, they are deposited in the cells that make up the airway linings. These particles cause damage and may induce mutations or alterations in the cellular DNA. Repeated exposure to higher concentrations of radon indoors causes enough of these mutations or alterations that carcinogenesis takes place, and cancer develops in the lungs.