Cancer is the second cause of death in the United States, only surpassed by heart disease.Above all, it affects the way in which cells grow and divide, modifying them in perverse shapes.

All cancer is the result of damage or genetic mutations in DNA.This unpleasant type of diseases extends through the body as an invading army, as cancer cells become malignant tumors.

Some cases of cancer are out of human control, because they are determined by genetic defects and predispositions that are transmitted from one generation to another, or are stimulated by genetic changes that we suffer throughout our lives.

But we also know that breathing certain substances, eating certain foods and even using some types of plastics increases the risk of developing some mortal cancers.

Next, some known cancer substances, as well as some more factors on which scientists are focusing as some of the main suspicious causes:

Sugar

Scientists now know that eating too many sweets can not only cause diabetes, also actively damages your cells and increase your risk of developing cancer.

But that is not all.

New research suggests that sugar can feed tumor growth in the body because cancer loves to use sugar as food.

"The hyperactive consumption of sugar from cancer cells leads to a vicious circle of continuous stimulation of cancer development and growth," said Johan Thevelein, a Belgian molecular biologist, in October after the presentation of his study.

Scientists say that new research helps us understand how sugar and cancer interact and that one day they could help create specific diet strategies for patients.

Ultraprocessed foods

Any food that is sold in a plastic, which is sealed industrially and designed to last months without decomposing, can be a quick way to take away hunger, but it is also likely that the risk of cancer is likely to increase.

Some scientists in France have recently focused on the relationship between people who eat more processed foods and those who develop cancer.

They are not yet sure if the problem is the stabilizers, the plastic that surrounds them or if the union of the two.Also, some other hidden factor could also have to do.

Smoke

Although the tobacco industry has tried to hide it, for years we are already sure that tobacco smoke contains at least 70 chemical substances that cause cancer.

And not only affect smokers: passive smokers can also develop lethal forms of cancer.

The centers for the control and prevention of diseases in the United States warn: "People who do not smoke and who are exposed to being passive smokers at home or at work increase their risk of developing lung cancer from 20 to 30%".

Sunbathe

According to the Foundation for Skin Cancer, people who tan the skin artificially, in solarium -type rooms, before the age of 35 increase the risk of developing melanoma by 75%.

The normal sun can also harm you, so wearing protective clothing, sunscreen and looking for the shadow are important measures to take if you are going to be exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes.

Toxic chemicals at work

Some people work daily with substances that cause cancer.

Among people who at risk of coming into contact with cancer substances at work are:

The night shifts

The International Agency for Cancer Research has described night work as possible carcinogens.Scientists think that working at night and working long hours in the dark can interfere with circadian sleep and vigil that are natural in the body.

CDC (acronym for the centers for the control of diseases in the United States) have developed a complete list of the risks of developing cancer at work.

Arsenic

Arsenic, a natural part of the earth's crust, is toxic in its inorganic form.It is often found in drinking water that is contaminated in places like Bangladés, or in places where crop irrigation systems use water containing arsenic.

The World Health Organization says that at least 140 million people in 50 countries drink water that has high levels of arsenic.

It is also one of the carcinogenic agents found in tobacco.

Burned meat and grilled

Smoked meat cooked on a grill can be soft and very rich, but they probably also increase your risk of cancer.

This is because processed meats contain compounds called heterocyclic amines, or AHC, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or HAP.

According to the National Institute of Cancer of the United States, when meats such as beef, bird or fish, they are cooked on an open flame or are fried at high temperatures, fat and juices that release in fire cause flames with flames withThe hazardous chemicals that are inside and then cooked with the meat we eat.

They are not sure that these chemicals cause cancer, but in the laboratory tests they have done, it has been discovered that they change the DNA of ways that can increase the risk of cancer.

Charcoal

For many years, coal miners have registered the highest rates of lung, bladder and stomach cancer.

There are sufficient data to suggest that miners who work with coal gasification or that inhale coal powder can suffer from cancer more easily.

The alcohol

Excessive and usual alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing several different types of cancer, such as throat, liver, breast and colon.

According to the National Institute of Cancer of the United States, "the risk of developing cancer increases with the amount of alcohol that a person drinks".

A new analysis performed with almost 600.000 Drinkers in 19 high -income countries in different parts of the world discovered that drinking more alcohol is associated with the development of all types of digestive system cancers.

Diesel escapes

Diesel has more than 30 components that can cause cancer, according to the International Agency for Cancer Research.

Meats or fish preserved in salt and pickles

The salt cured fish, which is very common in China, has a high content of nitrates and nitrites, known carcinogens in animals that can also cause cancer in humans.

Chemical compounds can damage DNA and produce tumors in the head and neck.

According to Cancer Research UK (Cancer researchers in the United Kingdom), "people in China or who have Chinese ancestors and live in the United Kingdom, have higher rates of nasopharyngeal cancer than other ethnic groups", something that could be attributed to their diet.

Eating many pickled food can also increase your risk of stomach cancer.

Fracking

Among the chemicals used in oil extraction by hydraulic fracturing that can be released in the air and the water includes benzephalic and formaldehyde that cause cancer.

Processed meats such as ham, bacon or sausages

The World Health Organization points out that processed meats, bacon and sausages can cause cancer.This is because the meat has been treated in a certain way to keep it or give flavor, such as salting, curing, fermentation or smoked.

WHO points out that any type of red meat may be related to a greater risk of colorectal cancer and there are some tests that suggest that it also contributes to the development of prostate and pancreas cancer, although it is not yet at all tested.

Consume a hot puppy or two bacon slices per day increases your relative risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

The asbestos

Asbestos has been traditionally used as an insulator before lung cancer.Products containing asbestos are not completely prohibited in the US.UU., although the Environmental Protection Agency does regulate its use.

Yes it is prohibited in Spain, since 2002, although it is still in public places.

Glyphosate

Scientists have discovered that this herbicide, which is one of the most common pesticides that are used in crops in the United States, has been linked to higher rates of Hodgkin's disease among farmers.

But they are not yet sure that there are enough evidence that possible small traces of the outbreak and herbicide in the food we consume are harmful to consumer DNA.

The sawdust

Sawmill workers and cabinetmakers who inhale tons of saw.

The estrogens

Women who begin menstruation before or enter the afternoon menopause can run a greater risk of breast cancer because they are exposed to more estrogen and progesterone produced by ovaries.

Women who are in menopause and use combined estrogen and progestin therapy to help relieve their symptoms can also have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Some viruses

Contracting certain types of viruses can indirectly increase your risk of cancer because, in some situations, viruses trigger genetic changes in cells that can contribute to cancer development.

The United States disease control centers point out: "Some viruses that are linked to cancer are the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, hepatitis B and C viruses, which can causeLiver cancer, and Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause a type of lymphoma.In addition, bacteria H.pylori can cause stomach cancer ".

Your family

Some types of cancer are transmitted from one generation to another.Genetic mutations play a key role in about 5 to 10% of all cancers.

"The genetic changes that promote cancer can inherit them from our parents if the changes are present in germ cells, which are the body's reproductive cells (ovules and sperm)," says the National United States Cancer Institute.

For example, certain types of breast cancer are the result of the mutations that record the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

Obesity

Obesity can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as breast, colon, straight, esophagus, kidney and pancreas.

But there are things you can do to reduce your risk of suffering them.

Prevention includes eating healthy food and performing enough physical activity, which not only help people maintain healthy weight and reduce their chances of developing some of these cancers, can also avoid depression and improve their mood.

The formaldehyde

For years, scientists have known that formaldehyde can cause nasal cancer in rats.

This conservation and disinfectant agent is used in some glue and construction products, and the International Agency for American Cancer Research establishes that it can also cause cancer in humans.

The implants

Put strange objects in your body, such as silicone breast implants (or made with other metals and ceramics), can also cause cancer, according to the International Agency for Cancer Research.

But the Mayo Clinic says that the finding is not a reason for you to call your surgeon, for now.

"A recent review of documented cases of BIA-ALCL (acronym in English of Anaplassic lymphoma of large cells associated with breast implants) made in the United States from 1996 to 2015 determined that the incidence of BIA-ALCL was two in one million womenThey had a textured breast implant, "according to the Mayo Clinic.

The air pollution

Contaminated air and particles that contain can also cause cancer.

The HUM in general is not the best.In London, people began to notice that many swollen developed scrotum cancer in the 1770s, and other studies found a link between the exhausting work that is done in the chimneys and higher rates of cancer.

Hollin inhalation has also been linked to lung, esophagus and bladder cancers.

Disaster areas

Breathing air containing large amounts of toxic gases for years can also cause cancer.

Scientists have studied firefighters, office workers and New York city students who returned to the center of Manhattan in the days and weeks after the September 11 attacks and discovered that they constantly register higher rates fromApproximately 70 different types of cancer, including breast, the cervical, colon and lung.

Likewise, people who lived near the 1986 nuclear disaster site in Chernobyl, in Ukraine, have developed higher rates than normal lung and thyroid cancers, as well as leukemia.

Silica

Silica is a natural mineral found in sand, stone and concrete.When construction workers and miners inhale silica particles when cutting, sawing or drilling rock, they can increase their risk of developing lung cancer.

The radiation

It is known that X -rays and gamma rays can cause cancer.We can also get it from the UV of the Sun.

But for visiting the doctor, he will not give you cancer.

The link between radiation and the risk of cancer tends to arise in studies of people who have been exposed to high amounts of radiation, such as those affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident and people who have cancer, whose treatments sometimes carry with themHigh radiation doses.

Even so, the American cancer society warns that "there is no threshold below which it is thought that this type of radiation is totally safe".

Chronic inflammation that lasts a lot of time and damages DNA

Chronic inflammation caused by problems that last a long time such as infections, intestinal diseases or obesity can damage a person's DNA and cause cancer.

Some plastics

Plastics can be dangerous, especially when they filter chemical substances when scratching or breaking their containers.

The BPA (acronym in English of bisphenol a) is a synthetic estrogen that has been used in many plastics and resins since the 1960s.

BPA resins can be used in food metal cans, while polycarbonate BPA plastics can be found in water bottles and food storage containers.

The BPA even appears on the brilliant side of the paper used in purchase tickets, to stabilize the ink.

Although many plastics manufacturers have begun to label their products such as "without BPA", there are still many products that cause breast and prostate cancer.

Have sex before vaccinating against papillomavirus

The human papillomavirus is sexually transmitted and is one of those mentioned above that can cause cancer.The centers for the control and prevention of diseases in the United States say that more than 40 different types can be transmitted through sexual contact.

Many forms of the virus disappear for themselves and are relatively harmless, but others can cause cancers of the cervical, penis, vaginal and anal.

Even the use of a condom will not necessarily avoid the propagation of HPV.Therefore, CDC recommends that all children receive the HPV vaccine, preferably before their first sexual encounter.

In some very rare cases, a kiss can cause cancer

About 98% of us will contract the mononeucleosis virus, which is potentially carcinogenic, when we are adults, either kissing someone who has the virus, sharing food or drinks, or being in close contact with them when they cough or sneeze.

This Epstein-Barr virus is relatively harmless to most of us, but in rare cases, herpes can cause higher rates of nose cancers, lymphomas and stomach cancers.

Acrylamide

Toast or fry some food at high temperatures, such as bread, coffee or fried potatoes, produces a chemical compound called acrylamide.

The acrylamide dose that has a cup of coffee (roasted) or a cookie will not kill you, since they are dangerous when consumed in large quantities (it is one of the toxic chemicals that inhale the smokers) but there is no evidence that toastA slightly harmful food.

A court of California determined that coffee vendors in that state must include labels that warn their customers about the possible risks of developing cancer for acrylamide that coffee has.

But state health experts are not convinced that the new rule is based on the best science.

The California Environmental Health Evaluation Office (United States) is challenging the law with the argument that there are not enough evidence that coffee causes cancer.

In fact, both the International Agency for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society say that scientific research suggests otherwise: coffee can reduce the risk of people to develop certain cancers.

Acrylamide is just one of the more than 1.000 chemical substances that are included in a list that the State of California has developed from possible compounds that are potentially carcinogens.By law, California includes alerts related to cancer in all kinds of things, from parking lots to dentist chairs.

While it is true that what we eat, the sites we are going and what we breathe every day can contribute to our possibilities to develop certain types of cancer, it is important to remember that the type of mortal diseases is not yet completely understood,And scientists are still looking for possible cures for cancer.