Understanding whether a factor is causal or correlative has significant implications for cancer prevention, treatment, and policy-making. If we know a factor is causal, we can take direct action to mitigate it. Conversely, if a relationship is merely correlative, interventions may be less straightforward and require more nuanced approaches. For example, heavy alcohol consumption is correlated with several types of cancer, but it also involves other risk factors like smoking and poor diet, which complicate causation.
