General Cancer Risk & Risk Reduction

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Colorado. Lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors, independently or in combination, can increase an individual's risk of developing cancer. Poverty continues to be an important factor that increases risk of getting cancer, of having cancer diagnosed at a later stage and of dying due to cancer in Colorado.

Lifestyles have the biggest impact on prevention and risk. Changes in lifestyle (including reduction in tobacco use, and diet modification to reduce fat consumption and increase fiber consumption), as well as early detection and intervention, can significantly reduce cancer mortality for some cancers. Reductions in cancer incidence achieved through risk factor interventions will reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Screening interventions, that result in early detection will have a proportionally greater impact on cancer mortality since early-stage disease is more likely to be cured by treatment.