Risk Factors for Diseases and Cancer

• What are risk factors in relation to diseases?

  Things linked to increased disease likelihood
• How does a lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet affect health?

  They are linked to cardiovascular disease
• What diseases are linked to obesity?

  Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers
• What health issues can arise from excessive alcohol consumption?

  Liver disease and brain function impairment
• What diseases can smoking cause?

  Cardiovascular disease and lung cancer
• What are the risks of drinking alcohol or smoking during pregnancy?

  They can cause health problems for the unborn baby
• What is the relationship between carcinogens and cancer?

  Carcinogens can cause cancer
• How do multiple risk factors contribute to non-communicable diseases?

  They interact to increase disease risk
• What is the difference between benign and malignant tumors?

  • Benign tumors:
  • Non-cancerous
  • Do not invade healthy tissue
  • Malignant tumors:
  • Cancerous
  • Invade healthy tissue and spread
• What happens to normal cells in the presence of a malignant tumor?

  They are invaded by tumor cells
• How do tumor cells spread in the body?

  They travel in the blood
• What factors contribute to cancer susceptibility?

  Lifestyle and genetic factors
• What can some people inherit that affects cancer risk?

  Faulty genes making them more susceptible
• What are the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases?

  1. Lack of exercise and unhealthy diet
  2. Obesity
  3. Excessive alcohol consumption
  4. Smoking
  5. Exposure to carcinogens