7 Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer
A risk factor can be anything that accelerates one’s chances of getting a disease. The risk factors for different forms of cancer are different. Certain risk factors can be altered or controlled, such as smoking, while others cannot be, such as age or family history. In this article, we list some key risk factors for pancreatic cancer. 1. Age One’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer heightens with age. Usually, pancreatic cancer is more prevalent in people over 45 years. As a matter of fact, 90 percent of people with the disease are over 55, and 70 percent of people with the disease are over 65. But, typically, adults, regardless of their age, may be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 2. Obesity A study involving 88,000 nurses established that the ones with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 were at a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Those who are physically active lower their risk of developing pancreatic cancer by fifty percent than those who don’t engage in any physical activity. 3. Smoking Cigarette smoking is one of the key risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Smokers have twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who don’t smoke. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), approximately 25 percent of pancreatic cancer cases are an outcome of cigarette smoking.