Various risk factors impact how cells produce energy, ultimately leading to cancer by damaging the cell's ability to generate energy using oxygen. The primary risk factor for cancer is the damage to the cell's respiratory capacity. This damage can be caused by factors such as chemical carcinogens, radiation exposure, chronic inflammation, hypoxia, rare mutations, aging, and oncogenic viruses. Each secondary factor has the potential to disrupt cellular respiration, causing the cell to lose growth control and develop into cancer.