What are the environmental risk factors for cancer?

What are the environmental risk factors for cancer?

Environmental risk factors for cancer. That is a tricky topic because the truth is, we are all exposed to vegetables that have pesticides, or energy from power lines, or background radiation, and we don't all get cancer. So there has to be an interplay between genetic susceptibility and our environment. Some of the best known agents, however, are strong chemicals. Benzene is a good example. It used to be used as an industrial solvent and is now known to be a carcinogen, and so its use is greatly restricted. Things like fertilizers and toxic chemicals for agriculture have been associated with cancer. Radon is a form of radiation which may seep out of the ground in certain parts of the country. That has been suspicious. Asbestos, in the past, was associated with mesothelioma, a special kind of lung cancer. In the past twenty or thirty years, there've been great efforts to limit people's exposures to known carcinogens.