Who Is at Risk of Developing Cancer? PART 1

Anyone can develop cancer. Since the risk of being diagnosed with cancer increases with age, most cases occur in adults who are middle aged or older. About 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in persons 55 years of age and older. Cancer researchers use the word “risk” in different ways, most commonly expressing risk as lifetime risk or relative risk.
Lifetime riskrefers to the probability that an individual will develop or die from cancer over the course of a lifetime. In the US, men have slightly less than a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer; for women, the risk is a little more than 1 in 3. However, it is important to note that these estimates are based on the average experience of the general population and may over- or underestimate individual risk because of differences in exposure (e.g. smoking), and/or genetic susceptibility. source : American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013 NEXT