Initially, Kent Setty was fixed on holding something to blame for his prostate cancer.

Including himself.

Surely his genetics played a hand. Prostate cancer was passed along like eye color, it seemed, from his father to himself and his brother. Breast cancer was common in his family, too.

Several close relatives, "four out of five, died of or with cancer," Setty said.

Or maybe it was his lifestyle. After all, diets of fatty and fried meats have been linked to the disease.

"I grilled the doctor about lifestyle issues," the 68-year-old said. "He finally said, 'Listen. You're beating yourself up for no reason.' He said, 'We don't know what causes it.'"

That actually eased Setty's mind. He has accepted he wasn't at fault for his body's insidious guest, even when the resilient cancer returned twice after his prostate removal in 1993.

"I stopped worrying about it," the Coeur d'Alene man said. "I honestly believe that God was involved in this whole thing."

Who's to say cancer isn't linked to all of the above - genetics, lifestyle, predestination?

Even with so much discussion and study of what triggers the more than 100 types of cancer, sometimes the cause is just unknown, said oncologist Karie-Lynn Kelly.

"In some cases, it is," Kelly said. "It's very tumor specific. For a primary brain tumor, there are really not a lot of known risk factors. We don't know why it happens. But some are very clear, like lung cancer."

Clear Links

So let's break down what we do know.

For instance, that cancer is a fickle, devious thing.

The term embodies diseases where abnormal cells divide without control, with the ability to invade other tissues and spread to other parts of the body. All cancer cells occur because of genetic mutations, which are passed down genetically or acquired during an individual's life.

Certain behaviors, exposures and other variables, called risk factors, compound the chances of tumors developing.

Some of which are tricky to avoid.

Like aging.

"Over time, those cumulative chances (of developing cancer) go up and up and up," said Chris Johnson, epidemiologist with Cancer Data Registry of Idaho.

The CDRI annual report shows the full trend. The risk of a 30-year-old Idaho man developing cancer by age 40 is 1 in 129. His risk for getting cancer by 50 is 1 in 34; and by 60, is 1 in 11.

For a 30-year-old Idaho woman, the risk of getting cancer by age 40 is 1 in 64; by age 50, 1 in 20; by age 60, 1 in 9.

"If you live to age 85 or 90 or older, your lifetime risk of ever developing cancer is about one in two," said Johnson, who noted that women's chances are higher because of breast cancer.

The correlation between aging and cancer risk is tied to how the body responds to issues like genetic mutations, said Patti Moran, manager of the state Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.

"As you age, your body loses some of the ability to control those mutations," Moran said.

Genetics also plays "a little bit of a role" in some cancers, Kelly said. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer, for instance, doubles an individual's risk of developing the disease, the oncologist said.

Likewise, a mother or sister with breast cancer doubles a woman's risk for getting it, she noted.

Still, only 5 to 10 percent of all cancer cases are inherited, according to Cancer.net, which supplies information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Some factors are more in our control. Myriad organizations and experts point to unhealthy lifestyle as contributing to a diagnosis.

What You Can Do

To prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends avoiding being overweight at all ages, limiting alcohol intake, sticking to a nutritious diet and pursuing regular exercise. Exercise helps fortify the body against cancer, according to Livestrong.com, by promoting antioxidant defense and DNA repair.

Recent studies have even shown that exercise lowers the risk of recurrence of some cancers, Moran said.

"That comes back to the immune system and your body's ability to respond when things start to go wrong," she said.

That's why Suzanna Spencer has tried to take a two-avenue approach to circumventing cancer. The Post Falls woman has made a goal of losing 100 pounds, while raising donations for the American Cancer Society for every pound lost.

That might not save Spencer from genetics, considering her sister died at 18 of a brain tumor and her father has survived melanoma. But at least the plan takes her out of the running for the ACS stat that a third of cancer deaths are linked to obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.

"My goals are to eat better, eat less and move more," said Spencer, who has already lost more than 30 pounds since starting her mission in September. "I wanted to eliminate a third of the reasons to get cancer."

Other Risk Factors

It's not so surprising that cancer rates are high, considering our society's fierce commitment to carcinogens.

We tan. We smoke. We gorge on fatty, deep-fried treats. We're also not checking on our progress.

In 2008, Idaho ranked 49th in the nation for cervical cancer screening, 47th for colorectal cancer screening, 36th for prostate cancer screening, and 46th for breast cancer screening among women 50 and older, according to the Comprehensive Cancer Alliance for Idaho.

"Idaho has among the lowest cancer screening rates in the country," Johnson said.

So here's some help. Below are the risk factors for the National Cancer Institute's most frequently diagnosed cancers. The Press is also supplying the American Cancer Society guidelines for preventative screenings.

Heed or don't.

Risk factors include:

Lung cancer:

Smoking. Tobacco contains agents that damage genes and affect the growth of cells

Lung cancer is the most preventable cancer, according to the Comprehensive Cancer Alliance.

Melanoma, the most fatal skin cancer:

Family history of melanoma

Exposure to Ultraviolet radiation. In particular, experiencing one or two blistering sunburns before age 18. Intermittent exposure to sun is a greater risk factor than constant daily exposure

Race: Caucasians are 10 times more affected than African Americans

Colorectal cancer:

Aging. Ninety percent of cases occur in men and women older than 50.

Genetics. About 15 percent of cases are genetically inherited.

High-fat diet, obesity, lack of physical activity

Smoking

Breast cancer:

Being a woman. The disease is 100 times more common in women than men

Family history, though only 5 to 10 percent of cases are inherited

Race: Cases more common among Caucasians than African Americans

Dense breast tissue

High alcohol intake

Being overweight or obese, lack of physical activity

Prostate cancer:

Being a man. One in six American men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes

Family history

Aging. Most affected men are older than 40

Poor diet seems to slightly increase risk

Pancreatic cancer:

Aging. More than 80 percent of cases develop between 60 and 80 years old

Smoking

Race: Cases more common among African Americans

Poor diet

Chronic pancreatitis

Thyroid cancer:

Family history of goiter and thyroid cancer

Leukemia:

Family history of leukemia

Smoking

Genetic disorders

Blood disorders

Exposure to certain chemicals like benzene

Previous cancer treatment

Kidney cancer:

Smoking

Obesity

High blood pressure

Endometrial:

Being a woman

Changes in hormone balance

More years of menstruation, such as starting before age 12

Bladder Cancer:

Smoking

Aging. Cases rarely occur before 40

Race. Cases more common among Caucasians

Being a man. Incidents occur more often in men

Exposure to chemicals like arsenic

Chronic bladder inflammation

Family history of cancer

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma:

According to the Mayo Clinic website, most who are diagnosed don't have obvious risk factors.

Some possibilities are:

Medications that suppress the immune system

Infection with certain viruses and bacteria