Category: Blogs

You have many risk factors for skin cancer. Some risk factors, such as getting older or having a family history of skin cancer, cannot be changed. But you can change things that put you at increased risk. To do so, stop smoking and don’t drink alcohol, get more sun exposure because it’s healthy, and cut back on tanning beds and outdoor UV light. Avoid overexposure to UV light from the sun or indoor tanning devices. Risk factors and cancer screening : Understanding risk factors for cancer can help your doctor decide whether you are at risk for developing cancer. Use our cancer risk assessment tool to learn more about your estimated lifetime risk of developing various types of cancers. Your family history is important. If you have a parent or sibling who had breast cancer, you have an increased risk of getting breast cancer. Fortunately, there are ways that you can reduce your risk, or lower it to a very low level. You may choose to have your breast removed (mastectomy) to prevent cancer from forming in the other breast. However, this does not always mean that you will not get any kind of cancer later in life. It will just lower your lifetime chance of developing breast cancer by at least 95%.