"Cancer ISN'T all in your genes"
"
Up to 90% of cases 'could be wiped out by avoiding triggers caused by our unhealthy lifestyles'"
They said that factors in the world around us, from diet, to sunlight, cigarettes and disease, play a far bigger role in fuelling cancer than dodgy DNA.
While the advice may not seem surprising, scientists are divided about how much cancer is caused by what we do and how much is unavoidable.
The latest study involved four analyses of the causes of cancer and used some of the same data as the first piece of research.
However, it came to the opposite conclusion, suggesting that cancer incidence is far too high to be explained by simple mutations in cell division alone.
They said that, if random mutations were to blame, there would be far fewer cases of cancer than there are.
16 comments:
At this stage, cancer might as well be an airborne contagion. I'd believe that even more. Who needs a zombie apocalypse when people are getting cancers more than ever.
No idea what causes cancer. Had it twice before in the lungs, and it was totally stopped & is scare tissue only now...I figure smoking 55 years had something to do with that....no longer smoke.
Soooo ...cancer has now hit me as "High Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma" ...a treatable condition that I am undergoing spinal and vein port chemo therapy for as we speak. Actually its less lethal than the old lung stuff and considerable testing was performed to assure it was not a metastasis of the lung condition before treatment was begun. Basically I am fine and have had very few usual reactions predicted from chemo...lucky I guess. I will see it through the 4 more 3 week cycles of chemo and I'll be fine...then we can see what's next :-))
Genetics? Maybe. The males in my line all had some form of it, but in their 80's....I'm in my 70's. Main thing is to face it, don't shirk treatments, and move on...today's treatments are amazing. For anyone else out there who is facing it...chin up, it can be defeated. I've done it twice.
Fight on, warrior, fight on.
Ari, my heart is with you. Be well and Godspeed.
Thanks. I've revealed it only to help others who may read here and may be facing the same thing with less ambivalence. As an "old hand" so to speak now with cancer, now round 3, year 5, I hope I can influence anyone else facing the same things to just get on with it...it can be defeated. Never ever quit.
I'm eating a banana and grapes for dessert. No more banana cake...dammit.
ricpic ... man that'd be hard. I love bananas, grapes, AND Banana Cake (about the only "cake" I like)...what prevents the Banana Cake?
Well, aren't I supposed to avoid sugary desserts and a whole lot of other scrumptious foods if I want to avoid cancer?
Let's see, I've also added walnuts, red bell pepper, more fish than I'd ordinarily eat. Mushrooms. The mushrooms are good. The other foods don't give me much pleasure. Turmeric. No flavor there but also supposed to be good for you. Mind you it's not like I'm really depriving myself. But hell, I used to polish off a whole Sarah Lee cheesecake in one sitting. :^(
ricpic ... I guess you can avoid all that if it scares you (I detect a bit of sarcasm in your words :-))...as I've said above, I'm in my 3rd go round with cancer. I am not about to give up moderate portions of foods I like and I really doubt they are the causes of my afflictions. Gave up smoking...that's not "food" but lacking a direct link otherwise to food, damn it, full steam ahead...moderately. BTW...I can still polish off a whole Sara Lee cheesecake (damn they're good) in one sitting...but now take two sittings :-))
I think most cancer causing activity is worth it. Not cigarettes though - too many negatives, not enough enjoyment. Cigars? Maybe. Sun? Definitely. Alcohol? Probably.
Hang tough Aridog. Guns will be banned before anyone will ban tobacco simply because of the tax benefits to the government.
That's all you need to know about whose side government is on.
Ultimately it all goes into the DNA anyway but I'd say that's probably closer to the truth. At the least, I'd say it's definitely more than 50% life choices. Lifestyle and age. The more cell divisions (the older you are) the likelier you are to accumulate those mutations.
Have to agree w/Bags (he's on a roll) that cigarettes aren't worth it and cigars maybe, but what the heck is up with Black and Milds? I've never had one but as a forced passive smoker (as almost all of us are) I have to say that they seem more pleasant than anything I've come across. How do they do it, I wonder, and is there any way they might actually be safer?
Good luck to Ari, you old codger. I have to say I didn't anticipate you'd be in your 70s. You hold up pretty well for an old guy.
Dietary sources of cancer are probably more about not getting enough of the things you should eat (broccoli will wallop the fuck out of those things) than eating too much of things you should technically avoid. I don't think I can avoid lightly charred and smoked stuff but I'm trying to aim for less charring. It's hard to do with a new grill pan, though. Trans-fats have been horrendous on heart disease deaths (I have no idea how they impact cancer) but luckily I've had them functionally banned from my intake for at least a decade, a fate which the rest of you will all soon now share. The thing is, trans-fat-containing crap is likely to be the same factory-produced garbage that contains a whole lot of other chemicals of questionable heath impact, so if you avoid one you're probably avoiding the other. As for the rest, it's a mystery. Avoid pesticides. These things probably all add up with each other (and even alcohol) to no good but aren't the huge and undeniable killers that smoking, sunburning and lack of fiber are.
AllenS ... hell will freeze over before anyone gets my guns :-) ... loss of tobacco tax revenue has spurred the government to look in to taxing vapor devices for a catch up. Sheesh, I quit cigarettes due to lung cancer (they were a really poor choice for 55+ years here...duh) which has been defeated. Now they want my vapor device? Which the medicos do not object to so far. Tax Bastids. I figure this new go round is due to too much sex :-)
You believe that, I got a bridge in Brooklyn just for you!
R & B ... one is only as "old" as they think they are...I'll be around to pick at you now and then for a long time yet :-)
R & B ... not really sure how much "fiber" I consume, but I'm told my diet is enough to flush an elephant daily. Wish I knew more about what is and is not "fiber."
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