In Mexico, the number of cancer cases has more than doubled in a period of 23 years. This increased incidence may be explained by the greater exposure to risk factors and non-healthy lifestyles, such as tobacco consumption, higher intake of hypercaloric diets, exposure to viral and bacterial infectious agents, exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens, and increased exposure to ultraviolet light and sedentary lifestyle. These factors of exposure vary in each region of the world, therefore the distribution of prevalent malignant tumors differs among different countries. For this reason, each region, country and locality must establish public policies that can influence the prevention of certain diseases, mainly chronic noncommunicable ones, whose risk factors can be modified, and thus achieve a reduction in their incidence and mortality. In the world, and in Mexico, the most frequent malignant tumors such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer, among others, are strongly related to these modifiable risk factors; so, their control could reduce morbidity and mortality for these causes. The population has the right to enjoy well-being and to have the best conditions to reduce the risk of getting sick. There are several actors involved in achieving these goals, for example: Government, industry, health professionals, the media, civil society, population, schools and workplaces. Conclusion: At present, there is a crisis in public health, in both children and adult population, due to overweight and obesity, which are linked to the sedentary lifestyle and the addiction caused by tobacco smoke. These conditions lead many countries to have as major diseases myocardial infarction, cerebral thrombosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer, and they all constitute a real public health problem. That is why establishing public policies that can influence our society to create healthy lifestyles and prevention measures to significantly reduce cancer mortality and health spending is a priority.