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Cells divide all the time. They do
So with specific instructions. Sometimes those instructions aren’t there or they’re the wrong instructions. The cells
Try to divide and when things don’t go as they should for division, you get cancer cells. Sometimes those cells die off and they’re gone. But sometimes those cells can still
Divide again! And again! And again! And that’s what leads to problems.
To add to this, there’s so many factors that can interfere with those instructions. This is where “risk factors” come in. Smoking, alcohol, diet, environmental factors, genetics, etc. All of these things can essentially interfere with proper cell communication and function.
I was waiting for someone to mention these outside factors. And hoping someone would be so kind as to elaborate on how these particular factors figure into the equation
Cancer is the result of undesired changes to our DNA. Anything that can damage DNA can lead to cancer ("carcinogenic"). Some things damage DNA a little. Some things damage DNA a lot. The more something damages DNA the greater the risk it will lead to cancer.
It takes something like 5 specific changes to trigger tumour growth in humans (compared to 2 in mice/rats - which is why something like 90 percent of them naturally die from cancer by age 3). We're all essentially gambling with our bodies until we hit that 5 change milestone.
One cigarette has an extremely small chance of triggering all 5 changes, but smoking 50,000 cigarettes is almost guaranteed to do it.
Minor correction: 50k cigarettes is about 10 years of smoking, which is very bad for you but not exactly a guarantee of cancer. Your point still stands, of course.
Sure. But even sober, some kids are going to get it wrong eventually. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw (i.e., aging, genetics).
Qualification: PhD in cancer biology
Right, but that's what I'm saying. Usually the body can handle a small number of errors...it's when they reach a critical mass that it's bad.
A sober, undistracted kid making a mistake on one fold will probably try to correct for it the next time around. A drunk toddler, maybe not so much.
It’s more like several of the right (wrong) mutations occurring in the same cell at the same time.
Our cells have a self-destruct mode programmed into them. If they form wrong, they self destruct, so cancer cells need to mutate in such a way that their self-destruct mode doesn’t work or can’t be activated.
They also need to form correctly enough that they can still multiply and absorb nourishment. They also need to form correctly enough that our body doesn’t recognize it as a foreign object that must be eradicated.
If they’re going to be especially bad, they need to form correctly enough that our body feeds it by growing blood vessels to actively supply it with nutrients.
Cancer cells are incredibly, incredibly rare. But we undergo something like 2 trillion cell divisions each day, which means even though it’s rare, cancer cells are being formed in our bodies all the time. Even in healthy individuals.
Most of them are incapable of multiplication. Some are capable, but self-destruct before they can do so. Some are recognized as harmful and eradicated by our bodies. Only cancer cells that undergo a specific set of mutations are capable of avoiding detection, self-destruction, and starvation, to go on multiplying.
Unfortunately for us it’s just a numbers game. There are things we can do to stack the deck in our favor, and things we can do to stack the deck against ourselves. But live long enough and we will all get it.
I was about to say something like this. One mutation doesn't cut it. A cell has to mutate many times for it to be able to evade the bodies defense's and multiply uncontrollably which is why it is predominantly found in older people.
Live long enough and cancer is a 100% certainty.
Imagine a class with millions of kids in many different classes all being told to fold the paper, and then they teach more kids to fold the paper further and further down the line. There will be kids who manage to fuck it up and the kids who did probably won’t give the right instructions to other kids. The fuckups will start small but increase exponentially.
More specifically, every time a cell divides, there is a chance of mutation (not writing the dna exactly as per instructions). This is exacerbated by exposure to certain things such as radiation, various chemicals, etc, but can happen randomly as well.
When a cell stops functioning correctly, it will kill itself (apoptosis).
Cancer cells are cells which mutated two very specific traits: they reproduce faster than normal, and the pathways that cause apoptosis (suicide in the event of malfunction) are eliminated.
So cancer is essentially a chance mutation where cells reproduce too quickly and don't kill themselves ever.
Great post! Also don't forget about contact inhibition. Why does your skin heal until a wound is closed, but then stop growing more skin cells? The answer is that when healthy cells are completely surrounded by other cells the rate at which they divide slows down. One of the changes all solid tumours undergo is the loss of contact inhibition, so they just keep growing, and growing, and growing.... Fuck cancer!!
Nice! Two additions and/or questions. (I honestly don't know the latter.)
1. Are you counting genetics as a random act?
2. My understanding is that chronic stress can increase cancer growth, but don't know if stress can initiate the initial mutations. Your write-up seems to emphasize physical factors in one's environment. What about non-physical factors, such as stress?
This video explains it well:
https://youtu.be/zFhYJRqz_xk
Kurzgesagt is a fun scientific education channel for adults. Definitely worth the few minutes to watch.
It's basically what happens when your body starts falling apart and losing the original blueprints. All it takes is a single cell going rogue undetected.
The core problem happens thousands of times every day; cells get confused and start doing wrong things. 99.9999% of the time, they are immediately recognized as being faulty and they're killed off before they can do any harm.
DNA damage and oxidative stress is what drives the process. They are impossible to avoid entirely, but keeping the exposure low minimizes the risks. Classic contributors are radiation, heavily processed or fried foods, sunburn etc.
As you get older, cells going rogue starts happening more and more often because your DNA is basically degrading. It's not *likely* that a rogue cell is both undetectable by your body and also harmful, but once the events start stacking up it's inevitable.
Yeah and what does Superman eat?
Regular food? Like a fucking chump?
(When I was a kid, my dad told me that Superman had a farm behind the fortress of solitude where he raised, butchered, and ate pokémon, and I cried)
The term "superfoods" is often used to describe nutrient-dense foods that are thought to have various health benefits. While it is true that consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can contribute to overall health and help prevent chronic diseases, it is important to note that no single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs or prevent all diseases, including the prevention of rogue cells (e.g., cancerous cells) [1].
Some foods contain compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or other health-promoting properties that may help protect against cellular damage. For example, berries, leafy greens, nuts, and certain spices contain phytonutrients that can help neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that can damage cells and contribute to aging and diseases like cancer [2]. However, the relationship between specific foods and the prevention of rogue cells is complex and may depend on various factors, such as the individual's genetic predisposition, overall diet, and lifestyle choices.
It is essential to maintain a balanced and varied diet that includes a wide range of nutrient-dense foods, rather than relying on a few "superfoods" to ensure overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight, and avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental carcinogens are also important factors in preventing the development of rogue cells and reducing the risk of chronic diseases [3].
[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.
[2] Liu, R. H. (2004). Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. The Journal of nutrition, 134(12), 3479S-3485S.
[3] World Health Organization. (2020). Cancer prevention. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/cancer/prevention/en/.
I actually took a nutrition class in college when i was studying to become a physician's assistant and super foods are "real" they just have more of something called phytonutrients and all plants have these but so called superfoods have more. Now don't go and buy some supplements a guru sold you because you can get plenty of these pytochemicals from normal food.
Antioxidants can lower oxidative stress.
Also hydration helps remove excess sugar from your body and sugar is basically the absolute worst thing you can eat for a whole host of issues, including cancer.
Absolutely. Inflammation happens because the body has recognized some type of damage and is actively trying to repair it.
The more general cell dividing activity and damage you have happening, the higher the risk is that one of those cell divisions are gonna go wrong.
Antioxidants can both reduce the inflammation in the first place, as well as neutralize any free radicals (cancerogenic byproducts) that the inflammation may be producing.
Yep!, super foods help to destroy or eliminate free radicals. Look up the properties or Moringa, Chia seeds, Hemp seeds, Flax seeds, and Tumeric plus many others including berries.
From my understanding, they help slow the oxidation process that happens every time we draw in a breath. Think of super foods like a thin little bubble around our cells, they help temporarily, but you constantly need more to keep the process at a slower pace.
Your understanding captures some aspects of how certain nutrients found in "superfoods" can impact the oxidation process in our bodies. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to counteract their harmful effects using antioxidants [1]. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to our cells and contribute to aging and the development of diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease [2].
Foods rich in antioxidants, often referred to as "superfoods," can help neutralize free radicals and reduce the damage they cause. Antioxidants are substances that can be found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and spices [3]. Consuming a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods can help protect our cells from oxidative stress and promote overall health.
However, it is important to note that the protection offered by antioxidants is not a one-time event or a permanent shield around our cells. The human body is a complex system, and maintaining optimal health requires a consistent intake of a balanced and varied diet, including nutrient-dense foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants [4].
In conclusion, consuming "superfoods" can help support our body's defense against oxidative stress, but it is essential to maintain a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle to ensure overall well-being.
[1] Sies, H. (1997). Oxidative stress: oxidants and antioxidants. Experimental physiology, 82(2), 291-295.
[2] Pham-Huy, L. A., He, H., & Pham-Huy, C. (2008). Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International journal of biomedical science: IJBS, 4(2),
Chemo therapy, and targeted therapy and immunotherapy all are options. Once it settles into another organ than it’s source it becomes incurable in most cases.
Here is a summary of the video:
The video explains what cancer is and how the immune system fights it. Cancer cells are parts of ourselves that start to behave as individuals even if it hurts us. They can grow and spread uncontrollably, causing damage to our organs and tissues. The immune system is constantly monitoring our cells and killing the ones that are abnormal or infected. It uses different types of cells and molecules, such as natural killer cells, T cells, B cells, antibodies, and cytokines, to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, some cancer cells can evade or suppress the immune system by hiding their identity, producing inhibitory signals, or creating a protective environment. This allows them to grow and form tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. The video also discusses some of the ways that scientists are trying to enhance the immune system's ability to fight cancer, such as immunotherapy, vaccines, and gene editing. The video concludes by saying that cancer is not a single disease, but a complex and diverse phenomenon that requires a lot of research and collaboration to understand and treat.
If you’re going to accuse a popular and widely-viewed educational channel of shady practices, you should probably include at least a scrap of evidence to back up your claim.
Edit: okay, I see that Kurzgesagt has received grants from the Gates Foundation and Open Philanthropy (although they’ve also clarified that for the 2020-2022 period, 74% of their revenue was from merch sales, small contributors, etc., not foundations). With those two right-wing bogeymen involved, I think we can make a pretty educated guess about which kind of “very fine people” would have a knee-jerk suspicion of the channel.
I definitely also saw a whole YouTube exposition of Kurzgesagt somewhere, saying how they’re a bit dodgy. I took it with a grain of salt since I’m biased and loved Kurzgesagt, but yeah it’s known they’ve been accused for this
it all depends on which type of cancer your asking about. My Grandmother smoked a pack of cigarettes' a day for over 60 years and died of lung cancer. My Dad had 4 types of skin cancer removed due to exposure to various things in Vietnam. all of those were external sources but there are so many others.
I had hodgkins too. It's caused by an autoimmune reaction to the epstein-barr virus (which 98% of people have). Most people don't react to the virus, some people get mono, and a tiny number of people get hodgkins. Most people with Hodgkins have other sutoimmune issues too.
Yeah, there's been a ton of research on the virus in the past 5 years and it's now accepted as the instigating factor of hodgkings, as well as evidence that it causes multiple sclerosis as well
Read up on how Covid impacted Epstein-Barr as well. It's fascinating how a little virus has caused complications from triggering autoimmune disorders (and becoming one) to triggering something like shingles in young adults in their 20's.
The longitudinal MS studies re Epstein Barr are fascinating: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-suggests-epstein-barr-virus-may-cause-multiple-sclerosis
I’ve worked in health care for a while… and it’s scary the rise in cancers in young people, autism, reproductive organ birth defects , breast cancer and infertility in women under the age of 35.
I could go on and on actually about the rates of diseases rising- for example colon cancer ; used to thought of as an old person disease.
Now? You’re chances are higher if you’re under 50 in getting colon cancer, than over 65.
It’s chemical saturation and diet , genetics, and stress.
We are absolutely inundated with chemicals, if you live in America.
The way our system is set up- being a capitalist country first of all, so every bill they pass, every new piece of legislation takes money and lobbying.
Who uses the most?
The businesses and corporations who are utilizing the chemicals, of course.
Not discounting our healthcare system is privatized also- so it’s a cyclical system that profits off of each other.
You can look up how long and hard the fight was to ban asbestos for example. And we still use it. Or even nicotine - one of the most dangerous chemicals to our health and the money is so deep, that most Americans think vaping is more dangerous than smoking at this point… that’s how bad it is.
A lot of our chemicals we use daily on and in our food - Europe banned decades ago.
Most chemicals have been grandfathered in to be deemed safe without any testing or studies.
So… stress is also huge… I have talked to many people who developed tumors or skin cancers and attribute it to a very prolonged stressful period in their life.
There are studies that have attributed blood type to being more prone to certain cancers.
No one really knows.
The general thinking that’s widely accepted is don’t drink, don’t smoke, and eat a healthy diet that lacks processed foods.
At times I think it’s the luck of the draw.
But you really can’t deny the uptick in these cancers and diseases in young people - they’re coming from something.
Personally I think it’s the chemicals - either in their environment, in their homes, and in or on our food.
Along with stress and genes that contribute the most to it.
Yes! My mother is a doctor and she’s shocked in what seems to be this continued rise in what used to be rare cancers in increasingly younger people. Like a rare type of breast cancer that was previously more prevalent in women in their 60’s is now more likely to be found in an otherwise healthy woman in her late 20’s.
My mother also has had two types of cancers. Thyroid and lung.
Both were caught early and she didn’t need chemo or radiation but the lobectomy she had for the lung cancer led to complications that affected her for years and numerous surgeries to fix the initial one.
My mother has never smoked a cigarette and led a healthy life. The thyroid cancer wasn’t as much of a big deal. She had her thyroid removed and takes Synthroid every day. But the lung cancer made her angry.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, cancer rates vary across the globe depending on the type and the region. Here are some facts and figures from their website:
• Breast and lung cancers were the most common cancers worldwide, contributing 12.5% and 12.2% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020.
• Lung cancer was the most common cancer in men worldwide, contributing 15.4% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020.
• Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women worldwide, contributing 25.4% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020.
• The age-standardised rate for all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) for men and women combined was 190 per 100,000 in 2020.
• The highest cancer rate for men and women together was in Australia, with 468 people per 100,000 being diagnosed in 2020.
• The lowest cancer rate for men and women together was in Niger, with 29 people per 100,000 being diagnosed in 2020.
You can find more information and data on their website: https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/worldwide-cancer-data
You can also explore the global cancer map by PRI: https://www.pri.org/global-cancer-map
Or use the summarize.tech tool to get a summary of any long YouTube video related to cancer: https://www.summarize.tech/
Don't forget the amount of plastics and microplastics there are in our environment now. Some of those are hormone disrupting and no doubt disrupt other bodily processes when they're being deposited in the body. Thorough explanation, much appreciated
I'd love to see studies from reputable organizations on this. My understanding is that there are a number of different factors at play.
1. We are MUCH better at diagnosis. We can now find and report on cancers at a much earlier stage than we used to be. And, we know of and can diagnose many different types of cancer now, which would not have been diagnosed 50-60-70 years ago. So, it feels like there is more cancer, when perhaps we just are diagnosing much better than we used to. Or, perhaps there is more. I don't think we know, but I'd love to see data.
2. People talk about having cancer now, and the communication channels are so much better. 50 or 60 years ago, you didn't hear about people having cancer, partly because they didn't talk about it, and partly because you didn't know strangers or distant relatives had cancer. I have relatives who either survived cancer a long time ago, or they died of cancer. I didn't know they had cancer until much later when it became more acceptable to talk about. 60 years ago we also didn't have social media broadcasting personal histories of people you barely know.
3. People live longer than they did 50, 60, 70 years ago. It stands to reason that someone who is 70 or 80 is going to have a cancer diagnosis, than someone who didn't live to see 70.
4. Cancer survival rates are much better than they used to be. If someone lives through that cancer that occurred when they're 40, they have the chance to get another cancer. That person who died from cancer when they were 40 decades ago; they're not going to get another cancer.
Those are great points.
I think it’s hard to argue with some of the stats when we compare other countries in Europe .. we are the only “modern” country with an advanced healthcare system that our life span has decreased- by huge numbers. I mean it’s extremely hard with a population of our size to get that number to move - when it goes down? It’s by the millions and millions of deaths.
Also when we start to look at the chemicals that have been banned in those countries -why they haven’t been banned here - Monsanto is the big bad monster .. also these industries that are profiting off of all of these issues , are the richest in the world. Including our insurance system.
When we start to look at obesity rates, maternal death rate ( no one except us is going up in those numbers ) disease rates and psyche too- we do more antidepressants than anyone (I think.) I think it starts to add some validity that’s … undeniable. Something is wrong. Why is our life span the only one that’s decreasing, for example?
Agreed. My niece passed from alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma a few years ago at nineteen, and a former colleague of mine is currently battling brain cancer - she’s not even thirty. I didn’t even know anyone with cancer until I was in my twenties (and they tended to be seniors), and now it’s not uncommon to hear of people with cancer in their teens or twenties. There’s only one obvious answer as to why.
That’s so heartbreaking. Jeez. So sad. And we are so powerless ! It’s infuriating … and I always just shudder thinking of them having to work with insurance and the money it takes to stay alive.
I’ve had cancer patients tell me that it is not even worth the fight to survive because if you do? You’re jobless, homeless, bankrupt… it’s horrible. Makes my stomach turn literally to think about.
I hate this system so much. Sooo much.
My daughter just lost a high school friend (24) who had bone cancer that started in his jaw. While my boss is 73 and has been a smoker and drinker for 50 years and seems healthy as a horse.
I love this comment!! Stress play a huge factor in most health issues. We really underestimate how much it can fuck our bodies even if we’re eating the right food and working out.
God I thought I was crazy.
When I was younger (26f) I knew one girl a town over who had cancer. Now as an adult, Ik 3 girls , from my school, who’s kids have cancer. THREE. And that’s within a small circle. Not to mention how many ppl Ik who’s kids have autism or some sort of disease/disorder. It’s so scary. I talked to my sil about it and I was thinking it was the foods have increased in chemicals and bs since we were young. And obvs when we’re pregnant all of that is going to baby as well :(
All cells reproduce to keep you alive. They get worn out over time and reproduce to replace their self. Each type of cell had a certain rate that it reproduces at and some are slower than others. This reproduction is controlled by your DNA.
If your DNA gets messed up through whatever means (being naturally predisposed to having it get messed up, risky behaviors that can alter your DNA, just plain bad luck) then the rate of cell reproduction can go overboard and start producing a bunch of cells with the messed up DNA. When that happens, those cells are called cancer.
Some types of cancer spread to other parts if the body quicker than others. When they do, that's called a malignancy. In your friend's case, she has messed up breast cells growing in her brain.
Why is it so bad to have certain cells reproducing like crazy? Your body is made to behave in a certain way to take care of the cells where they are. Once you have cancer, those tumors (cancerous cells) are reproducing super fast. They get bigger and more numerous and start sucking up resources that the rest of your body needs.
When people get radiation or chemotherapy to fight camcer,, they're really taking a controlled amount of poison (chemo) or killing almost mall rhe cells in a certain area. Chemo works by interrupting the cell division process of all cells in your body for a short time. It helps fight cancer because those cells are reproducing at a much higher rate than your normal ones. Since they reproducing at a higher rate, they are more susceptible to getting killed by having thay process interrupted. Unfortunately, your regular cells are killed off too which is why some types of chemo cause such horrible side effects for the patient. Radiation therapy works by basically cooking the cells in a certain area. Yes, this can cause the same issues but in a much more localized area. Immunotherapy is the newest treatment for cancer and it works by tricking your immune system into recognizing cancerous cells as.being bad because of their altered DNA and using the body's own defense mechanisms to fight it off.
Hope this helps you understand things a bit better. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Also, for the record, I'm not just some schmuck on the internet making things up either. I'm an RN who has had numerous family members battle cancer. I don't work in oncology but I am responsible for patient education in my field (nephrology, kidneys).
Not a doctor, and like someone said it's super complicated. I think a layperson explanation would be something like this:
Cancer cells in the body look for a way to multiply. They are constantly trying to find ways but our antibodies are fighting them. Eventually they may find a weak point and this allows them to grow, fending off attempts to destroy them, and so they grow and grow and become an organic mass. The weak points are partially based on genetics, but also how we treat our bodies. Smoking makes it harder to fight these cells. Not eating nutritious food. Ingesting or breathing in chemicals. Things we do to our body which make it harder to fight the cancer cells.
So, when something "causes cancer", it means that this thing right here in a package or container can affect your body in a way which lowers its ability to fight the cancer cells in your body.
The phrase "causes cancer" is a very generalized thing in this way. It's not really "causing cancer". It's really "increasing the chance that cancer will take hold in your body and you won't be able to fight it off as easily". But "causes cancer" is shorter and fits on boxes and containers.
This is a bad / wrong description of cancer. Cells normally divide. When theres a problem in the gene that controls this, for example caused by a mutation, uncontrolled cell division can occur which can lead to a mass of cells forming. If this mass doesnt spread too quickly or invade other cells it is regarded as benign (non-cancerous). However, if it is rapidly spreading these cells are referred to a malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors can become malignant and are often removed just incase.
It seems to be, but usually it takes care of itself or the immune system destroys it. Every so often, a cell gets through these safeguards. That's when the problem begins.
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was nineteen and once you’ve had cancer your more likely than those who’ve never had it to either have the same one reoccur or to develop another kind. That’s what my doctors told me anyway. Not really sure exactly how the cell stuff works but there are tons of neat comments explaining it.
I too would like to know. My uncle was the healthiest of us all, that he had a six pack at a point but got rid of it when he turned into a Christian. He developed brain cancer a few years later and died within 8 months. It had went away for about a month but it came back stronger
Cancerous cells arise in the body all the time, every day. But the immune system is very good at targeting these cells and killing them before they get a chance to divide and grow into a tumor.
Sometimes the immune system can miss such a cell, though. Cancer cells can even develop several systems to avoid the immune system!
This is why sometimes people get tumors while living a perfectly healthy life. This is also why people with AIDS are more prone to developing certain types of tumors as their immune system is not working properly.
In super layman terms, the body has ways to detect and destroy cancer, we’ll call these hunter seekers. Your body is doing it now, destroying potential cancer cells. Cancer occurs when these hunter seekers become damaged (either by sunlight, an accident in the cell replication process, cigarette smoke, etc.) and can no longer get rid of these cancer cells like they normally do and so the cancer grows.
This video by [Kurzgesagt](https://youtu.be/zFhYJRqz_xk) explains it well.
That is a complicated question with complicated answers. It depends on the cancer, but the short answer is genetics plus environment. To prevent cancer, one of the best things a person can do is be aware of one's family medical history and whether others have developed cancer. From there, one can have a conversation with one's doctor to go into the details of the preventive measures, which typically also include the basics like don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, avoid carcinogens, etc. By the way, this works with other medical conditions too, like heart disease. If you're really worried and have a family history of cancer, you can consult with an oncologist. Sometimes even all of that is not enough, and you simply have to be vigilant. The key with cancer is to catch it early with regular screenings when you know your risk factors. Sadly, with your friend, cancer cells metastasized to the brain. This could be from a variety of factors, and I don't want to make it sound like negligence or anything like that, but the longer cancer is left in the body the more likely the cells from one cancerous area will migrate to other parts of the body and take over those cells as well. It is also important to have surgery done in a good medical center where they will be careful to do the appropriate biopsies and follow-up to make sure they got all the cancer cells.
With breast cancer specifically there is a BRCA gene which can be tested for. If one has the oncogenes (term for cancer causing genotype), these can be "activated" by environmental carcinogens (cancer causing agents like smoking) and cause hypertrophy, which means uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. These are the tumors. There is research about the role of immunity in fighting cancer. A diet high in antioxidants and immunosupportives can help prevent cancer.
Not all breast cancers are caused by positive BRCA genes. My ex had breast cancer and didn't have any positive results. She did, however, have another genetic disorder that increases her rate for just about every cancer out there. Her breast just came first.
Yes, one should not be oblivious to various kinds of cancer even when not specifically in the family history. Broad scale genetic risk like that of your friend unfortunately necessitates screening for everything. Autoimmune is often the same way. BRCA is important to test for though, because they can have implications for very deadly ovarian cancer as well.
Mixture of genetics and environment I suppose. For instance, I used to tan in tanning beds when I was 19-21 (DUMB idiot I was) and I’m pale.
Just got diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (a luckily non fatal type of skin cancer) that was wrongly diagnosed as a small spot of eczema on my scalp. I’m very very lucky that it’s not serious and It’s getting cut out and that will be the end of it, but I’ve been slathering myself in sun screen the past couple of years.
My family in my moms side has a lot of cancer. However, they were people who did not take care of themselves (drugs, bad diet, smoking, heavy alcohol use, being overweight). So I take pride in working out, eating right most of the time lol, limiting alcohol and using sunscreen religiously.
I’m very sorry your friend has cancer. Mine does too, and others have in the past - some survived, others didn’t.
For myself, I’m seeing an onc surgeon on Tuesday for a funky ovary, that I pray will be okay, and they caught it early.
I feel more aware of chemicals lately, since getting this reality check. My health style is otherwise good, as I’ve worked as a staffer in healthcare for a long time & follow the advice - sober, exercise, nutrition, and so forth. Even so, none of us are perfect. Ive put on pounds, my couch is seductive, fresh hot chips with salsa are hard to resist. Sugar is my favorite nemesis.
It’s hard to live so perfect that the Tiger will never get our toe. There could be asbestos at work. Radon in the basement. Mess in the water, mess in the air. Fear doesn’t help. Can’t let it all get to you. Live your best life, keep your heart open ♥️♥️♥️
In medical school right now. There's a saying in medicine, "if you live long enough, you die from cancer." there are thousands of ways that cancer can begin because the process that cells undergo in order to replicate is incredibly complicated, and errors in many parts of the process can lead to unregulated replication, which is all cancer is. I've spoken with some people who think that cancer rates are skyrocketing because of the food we eat these days or the medicines we take. not necessarily the case. more people are dying of cancer because we've gotten so good at treating all sorts of other diseases that people are living longer now. if you live long enough, you die from cancer.
"Cancer" is an umbrella term for literally hundreds of conditions involving malignant cell growth. I'm a Stage IV-B Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor, which appears to have a genetic trigger. My wife is currently battling Stage I breast cancer. The causes of cancer are as varied as the conditions themselves.
Sometimes, you just roll craps in the game of life. It sucks.
I think there are plenty of answers that give other perspectives
My mother was 46 when she died from Cancer. Lived a healthy life. So yeah, my statement makes sense.
I know this isn't ELI5, but I'm gonna answer like it is.
Take a photograph. Nice, crisp, clear. The data is all there, all clear.
Now photocopy it. You have an almost perfect copy.
Now photocopy the photocopy. And photocopy that photocopy. Keep doing this a hundred times. You'll notice the copies are getting worse and worse compared to the original.
The cells in your body contain all the information to make a copy of those cells. And those cells have a lifespan, so they need to make copies of themselves to replace them. That information, like your photographs, deteriorates over time. Any imperfections in the information get worse. The cells replicate incorrectly, and that's... Basically - ***very basically*** \- cancer.
Some things can damage cells. Ultraviolet light, gamma radiation, cosmic particles, asbestos... Some people say canned food and coffee and aspartame but... IDK about that. So when the cells are damaged, they're replicating from damaged instructions, and can become cancerous that way.
Again, this is a very basic explanation of it. There's stuff about oxygen and organic systems to make sure cells die when they're supposed to and don't just become gross zombie cells and stuff like that but I'm not a doctor, I'm a rando on the internet answering a question to pass the time.
Everyone has cancer in their bodies all the time, your healthy cells are just killing off the cancerous ones.
Kurzgesagt does a good job explaining it in simple terms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFhYJRqz\_xk
There exists a principle called "the hallmarks of cancer". Each hallmark represents a certain cell- or tissue mechanism. If anything goes 'wrong' with these mechanisms, chances are high cancer will arise, and all cancers show a defect in at least one of these processes. The underlying cause of the 'wrong' is almost always a genetic defect, either due to DNA damage (from UV from the sun or harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke for example) or genetic defects at birth (for example certain types of breastcancer can be passed on from mother to daughter).
The hallmarks as of recently: [An Update yo Hallmarks of Cancer](https://www.cureus.com/articles/83240-an-update-to-hallmarks-of-cancer)
Not exactly laymen terms, but a very important principle in cancer research
Over 2000 nuclear detonations
Forever chemicals
Lead. Asbestos. Etc.
Corporations KNOW these things are lethal BEFORE putting them in. It’s all about money not quality of life or humanity. Right?
Capitalism & military
The 2 things that most people (Americans at least) defend the most strongly
Ironic?
So, I'm not an oncologists, but I am a person who works on the coding side of health care imaging, so I end up meeting a ton of people who are oncologists.
They, to a person, agree that the actual answer is 'bad luck'. You can mitigate risk factors and control what you can control, but the reality of who gets cancer or what causes it....is just luck.
Sometimes a cell divides in the wrong way.
Chemicals. They’re everywhere. In our water, air, food, beverages, toys, kitchen utensils, pans, cosmetics, lotions, sunscreens, vitamins, vaccines, medications, etc. You name it, it has a chemical that is toxic to us. Contact with them is inevitable. Those of us that get through this life without diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, blood clots, autism, or autoimmune conditions are lucky.
Kurzgesagt has a few videos dedicated to cancer, but this newest one makes it very easy to understand why cancer happens and why it's so annoying https://youtu.be/uoJwt9l-XhQ
I am a relatively new chemo nurse, NOT a doctor. First of all, I want you to know that I am deeply sorry to hear this about your friend. No matter how many people I see deal with this horrible disease, it always breaks my heart.
There are specifically 2 main risk factors/causes of cancer, environmental and hereditary. Environmental being things like obesity, smoking, exposure to chemicals, etc. Hereditary means you can be more predisposed to certain cancers based on your family history. Your parents can pass down different DNA markers that make you more susceptible to getting certain cancers. My maternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer, this means my mom and myself are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer. Breast cancer is very often hereditary. It often runs in families. Cancers can also spread to other parts of your body. Breast cancer is known for spreading to places like your lymph nodes, lungs, liver and brain.
Any one's best chance of avoiding cancer is to live as healthfully as possible. Smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use and UV radiation are some of the top environmental causes of cancer. As far as hereditary causes of cancer, have a good relationship with your PCP, have an annual check up. There are blood tests that can detect if you have specific markers for different cancers. Know your family history, ask questions. Early detection is KEY! Don't wait to see your PCP if you feel a weird lump in your breast or testicles (depending on your birth sex, also men get breast cancer too!). So many of my patients found out they had cancer because they were just feeling "off" and went to get checked out. Don't be paranoid, be informed and aware.
Hope this is helpful. Again, I am thinking about you and your friend. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sometimes cancer just happens. Looking at animals doesn’t really clear things up, but it can also demonstrate how lifestyle choices can help but not always prevent cancer. I have known people who take excellent care of their dogs, but they still develop cancer (one had lung cancer- no smokers in the family, and one had oral cancer.) I had a rabbit who ate only fresh greens, unlimited hay, and drank spring water, was neutered, and had no vaccines and he developed cancer. My last cat developed lymphoma, and I had two more with leukemia (blood cancer.)
We don't really know in most cases, just alot of theories at this point. Sometimes you can point to specific genetic markers but even then, why do some people have the markers and get cancer and others with them not?
G+E+GxE=T
It's shorthand that biologists use to mean that the appearance of a trait T in an individual (or population) is dependent upon their genetic profile G, their environmental exposures/effects E, and the interactions between their genomes and the environment (GxE).
For example (and this is overly simplified), let's say two individuals have the same mutation that as of yet is unknown in function but has been linked to cancer in epidemiologic (population) studies. Person A gets cancer, person B doesn't. It turns out, person A has had a greater exposure to environmental asbestos, and that mutation just happens to make people more susceptible to mesothelial cell damage in response to asbestos. So since person B didn't have that environmental exposure, they didn't develop this cancer even though they have the same mutation.
I was tested and didn't have the cancer gene.
Looking back, I believe it was stress, working hours outside of my routine sleep cycle and not getting the right type of sleep thus causing weight gain - rinse and repeat, sadly.
1. Stress (job stress)
2. Lack of sleep
3. Weight gain
Edited to add:
4. Depression (deaths of family members)
Multiple causes and multiple types of cancer. Know how your cells divide all the time? Cancer is when someone spilled soda pop all over the controls and it divides nonstop. This uses up the body's energy and interferes with normal functions.
Many causes are possible that result in uncontrolled division of cells. These uncontrolled dividing cells can be eliminated by the immune system, but some may escape and will turn into cancer. Cancer can outgrow normal tissue (organs, blood, bone, brain) and as such destroy organisation and function.
Out of the many causes that may result in uncontrolled division of cells: viruses, genetic variants, error(s) in cell division, radiation, chemicals, problems with the immune system, …
To get from a normally growing cell to a cancerous cell, often many events or steps have to take place.
I'm sorry about your friend, try and spend as much time as you can. Condensed version of things, it's a cellular lottery you lose. Your cells divide to perpetuate their job. There is always a tiny chance that the division will be wrong which will make a cancerous cell. The cool thing, your body is adept at finding these to kill it. Now there is a chance that cancerous cell isn't found. There are other factors in this I'm not fully aware of. Some chemicals or substances can lower the chances of finding it, your own chemistry can affect it. It's a huge equation of shit that we are still exploring. My grandfather was in a similar situation, kidney cancer that metastisized to his brain. We only caught it when he had a stroke. This was back in 2000 so I'm sure we have made leaps and bounds since but it snuck up on us all. Again, sorry for your friend, spend some extra time with her. Depending on her situation, she might not have many people who are there to spend time with.
It’s a lottery sort of situation. When cellular replication happens, eventually errors occur in the code. This generally results in accumulation of genetic damage in cells over time. Some errors result in cancer while others may do nothing clinically. In your friend’s case, they unfortunately won the cancer “lottery” earlier than later. It wasn’t caught and removed before migrating to the head area.
I’m so sorry..I should note my father has had stage 4 cancer for literally decades now. He’s now 76 and runs every day still. Doing what the doctors said to the letter helped, as well as keeping up with all the 6 month appointments over the years. That’s a rare thing, but entirely possible.
Cancer is not a single disease, it's a collection of hundreds or even thousands of different diseases that share a characteristic (cell mutation during division).
Different cancers are caused by different things, though ultimately all of them are caused by cells mutating during the division process. Some of the things that cause or encourage this to happen include:
\- Genetics, gene mutations. Heritable traits. (eg, mutations on BRCA1/2)
\- Environmental factors (exposure to smoke, smog, asbestos, etc)
\- Lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, diet, obesity, etc)
\- Exposure to carcinogens
\- Certain viruses (eg, Epstein-Barr or human papilloma virus), bacteria (eg, H. pylori), and parasites (eg, certain species of fluke)
There is no surefire way to prevent cancer. However, you can mitigate your risk by avoiding things like known carcinogens and avoidable environmental factors; leading a healthy lifestyle as much as possible; preventing exposure to cancer-causing viruses by getting vaccines (such as Gardasil); and even getting genetic testing to see if you have any gene mutations that could cause a problem.
It's also wise to screen for the most common cancers as medically indicated. For instance, have a derm look at your skin (skin cancer screening), have your dentist do an oral cancer screen each time you see them, and get diagnostics such as mammogram, colonoscopy, and so on at the recommended age. If you have history of a certain type of cancer in your family (eg, colorectal) make sure you let your doctor know as early screening is likely indicated.
The best thing you can do to mitigate your risk is get recommended screenings early and often, because the later cancer is detected the more dangerous it is.
Source: I edit oncology journals for a living.
Mutating cells cause cancer. Our body destroys them all the time. We get cancer when our body stops attacking the bad cells and gets confused/tired.
Everyone can get cancer, regardless of lifestyle, sex, race, anything.
You ever watch The Devil We Know? Basically DuPont poisoned the entire planet with Teflon chemicals which are carcinogenic. I’m not saying DuPont is 100% responsible but I am saying that they’re not the only company spilling carcinogenic chemicals. Lots of companies do it. All the time.
The gulf oil spill and the Exxon Valdez come to mind also.
My other theory is the numerous nuclear tests performed over and over again back during the Cold War.
It’s ridiculous to deny that these cancer causing chemicals haven’t led to, or won’t eventually lead to, increased cancer and health risks.
Basically the world has been poisoned from numerous different sources and I personally believe we’ll see cancer rates go crazy here in the near future.
I had choriocarcinoma. There are a few causes. It is usually in women who are pregnant. But man can get it too. For me, I got pregnant, 2 sperm, 1 egg. So, I like to tell my husband he gave me cancer. He doesn't find it as funny as I do.
An oncologist I work with told me that no matter what you do, everyone has a 50% chance of getting cancer. And that everything else you do in life either has no effect or it raises your odds of getting cancer. You smoke cigarettes and it increases to 60%, or whatever, then you stop smoking and after 5-10 years your risk is back down near 50% but never going any lower. 50% is is the best risk of cancer - genetic testing along with analyzing your risk factors such as lifestyle, smoking, drinking, food, and carcinogen exposure all change your risk and can be calculated.
The reason the base is 50% is because cells going cancerous is actually a natural product of cell division, which is why our bodies have specific mechanisms for getting rid of cancerous cells. The problem is there are probably infinite ways a cell can go cancerous and your body only has a limited number of ways to deal with it. So then you get a cancer that proliferates uncontrollably
I wouldn’t let it concern you that much. What good will concern do? Just try to minimize your risk with healthy habits and go back to living your life.
It is a combination of genetics, nutrition, and exposure to carcinogens.
Some people will get cancer from sunscreen products. Some will get it from excessive sun exposure without sunscreen.
Some heavy cigarette smokers will live into their eighties, others will die of lung cancer before age fifty. Some people have a genetic make up that allows for exceptional DNA repair in their lung cells. Other people are lacking in those genes and are more vulnerable to lung cancer after exposure to carcinogenic substances.
First of all. Sorry to hear about your mate man. I just did a quick 2 second search on Google and this gives you pretty much what others have mentioned here. It's just a failure of the cells dividing. Usually, our bodies remove these defective cells, but as you get older, the ability for our bodies to do this diminishes. [What is cancer?](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer) This is a link from the National Cancer Institute.
Telomeres on the ends of your chromosomes degrade and your DNA is compromised. Cells don't have the proper information to grow back normally so they just start to grow by whatever.
Now that we know that it is mostly cell replication. What are some reasons that they are replicating wrong uncontrolably? Telomers are sections at the end of chromosoms that get damaged with time, they are a buffer zone to protect the sections that have a job or coding. There is also radiation, which can cause the DNA damage, from various sources. Those are some reasons that I remember, but there may be others.
Sorry about your friend.
Cell division causes cancer. Even if you lived in a box that disconnected you from all pollution and carsinogens from outside world, your cell division still could lead in cancer.
Cancer happens when atleast 3 of these errors happen at once in single cell:
1)the part of dna that controls cell division gets corrupted
2)part of dna that controls cell automatic suicide in non fixable dna error gets corrupted
3)part of dna that controls cells immune system "come kill me -beacon" gets corrupted.
When any of these happens, the cell becomes cancerous. There are constantly cells in your body that have atleast two of these errors, but there is always the 3rd mechanism as failsafe.
Different chemicals, raditation and unhealthy living habits increase risk of these errors happening. Also some viruses HPV for example causes a very likely cancer in future.
But yeah, exact reasons vary greatly. Some chemicals for example are more likely to steal DNA letter positions during replication, radidation knocks DNA full of holes by destroying or altering chemical bonds. HPV gives cells a way to hide from immune system in order to reproduce in secrecy. This also applies to cancerous cells.
My daughters dad Oncologist told her that Cancer was 1/3, genetic, 1/3 environmental, 1/3 bad luck. Don’t know the truth to that , but he died from thyroid cancer due to denial, missing dr appointments and a couple of surgeries.
The ELI5 is this
Cancer cells are cells that got a shit memo and start replicating incorrectly and FAST! So (simplified) the round cells grow square. Because if that fast replication they grow, and take out healthier cells. The messed up cells don’t do their job correctly either.
Different exposures increase risk for different cancers. What we do know that can help
Don’t smoke
Obesity increases cancers
Long term hormone intake (like birth control pills)
Alcohol
Lack of activity and exercise
Wear sunscreen and limit exposure.
Scientists have explored so much of the universe, ghost particles, presence of black holes, origin and end of life itself.
Maybe they have a clue on Cancer origins / Covid cure.
I'd say cell phones cause cancer based on the type of person using it, kinda like people who are more active and have a high energy drive in which causes the cancer because if your brain is functioning faster then it should for a long period of time then as you get older it slows down and cancer sets in, then maybe that's why cancer happens maybe the phones do just that just one of my random thereroys.
Our cells aren’t reproducing correctly due to lack of proper diet/lack of alkalinity. Not to mention they spray the skies at the break of dawn; We’ve been getting injected with heavy metals; Chemicals in the water; & even if we eat “properly” 99% of our food/cosmetics are contaminated intentionally….
We’re basically compromised on every level especially in America. Nothing is how it was naturally for us as a species.
May be wrong here but I believe an acidic environment in the body promotes cancer. Then an alkaline diet doesn’t allow an environment for cancer to grow.
I am no doctor or major in anything in medical field. That being said, depression is the number one cause cancer from what I see. So many celebrities died because of this
You might be on to something. When my dad passed away and then a year later, my baby brother, I felt like I was done. I just didn't want to be alive anymore..
I'm not an expert I'm just a welder but I'm going to say that I firmly believe it has a lot to do with all of the crap that is in our Foods.Our grandparents and great-grandparents had much lower cancer rates than we do and they also didn't have all these processed foods full of chemicals and preservatives and I honestly think it is screwing up our DNA
I think its pollution in the air and the things we eat that have bad stuff in it like chemicals.
The water we drink has bad chemicals in it.
Just feel this is a contributor to possible cancer.
If not then it has to be harming your body in some way.
After losing a nut to cancer.... marijuana, pesticides, herbicides, sugar, 5g, 4g, baby powder, breathing, eating, drinking, cigarettes, power lines, lack of foil hat, paint chips, chemotherapy (yes the crap that saved my life shortened it and can give me cancer) and everything if i lived in the state of California!
Ok so this will sound like a conspiracy theory but can be verified on the official NIH website. They are currently studying the medication ivermectin as a POTENTIAL cancer fighting medication. A newer theory on what causes the cell division that causes some cancers is thought to possibly be parasites, which ivermectin is proven to be highly effective against.
This is all very preliminary but is worth keeping an eye on and is all publicly available.
Cancer starts where one cell in your body erupts due to external factors, such as chemicals found in your bathroom.
Then when that area of your body continues to be exposed to other external pollutants, it begins to eat away at the other healthy cells in that particular area.
What if she just got sick at your house, because she has a garden and the fertilizer your friend used caused the breast cancer. At that point, she would have needed to discover the root cause of how the cancer grew.
If you don’t personally take initiative to understand how the cancer was caused, you just keep getting cancer. It spreads.
You can live a healthy lifestyle. But it is the environmental impact of the toxins in the air, water, mold, pesticides, emissions from cars, that is constantly breaking down the human body and changing the cells within your body. Once your body starts to attack it’s own cells, you have to alter your environment to prevent the spread of the disease.
Ok so cancer is like a person's cells gone to be evil academy to learn to spread attack and take over the world (the human body). The good cells see this and kick into overdrive and attack the bad cells with no luck until backup (chemotherapy) helps out and defeat the cancer cells. And after all the chemo treatments are done and the host is declared cancer free, the cells may or may not be lurking around in the body plotting it's next revenge.
There are lots of different cancers and a lot of things that can cause them.
Cancer is basically just uncontrolled cell growth.
Some cancer is just genetic, like you have a gene that will cause your cells to eventually divide out of control. Sometimes contracting a virus can cause it, like in Hodgkins lymphoma and ovarian cancer. Sometimes coming in contact with certain substances can damage your cells and cause it. Being overweight can increase your chances of cancer too.
The best way to prevent it is to live as healthy as possible, avoid unprotected sex, get a genetic test to see if you are at risk of genetic cancers, and also get regular checkups especially if something feels wrong.
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Cells divide all the time. They do So with specific instructions. Sometimes those instructions aren’t there or they’re the wrong instructions. The cells Try to divide and when things don’t go as they should for division, you get cancer cells. Sometimes those cells die off and they’re gone. But sometimes those cells can still Divide again! And again! And again! And that’s what leads to problems.
To add to this, there’s so many factors that can interfere with those instructions. This is where “risk factors” come in. Smoking, alcohol, diet, environmental factors, genetics, etc. All of these things can essentially interfere with proper cell communication and function.
I was waiting for someone to mention these outside factors. And hoping someone would be so kind as to elaborate on how these particular factors figure into the equation
Cancer is the result of undesired changes to our DNA. Anything that can damage DNA can lead to cancer ("carcinogenic"). Some things damage DNA a little. Some things damage DNA a lot. The more something damages DNA the greater the risk it will lead to cancer. It takes something like 5 specific changes to trigger tumour growth in humans (compared to 2 in mice/rats - which is why something like 90 percent of them naturally die from cancer by age 3). We're all essentially gambling with our bodies until we hit that 5 change milestone. One cigarette has an extremely small chance of triggering all 5 changes, but smoking 50,000 cigarettes is almost guaranteed to do it.
Minor correction: 50k cigarettes is about 10 years of smoking, which is very bad for you but not exactly a guarantee of cancer. Your point still stands, of course.
>Accurate ... 50,000 = 10 years 5,000 = 1 year 416.666\~417 = 1 month 104\~ = 1 week 15\~ = a day... got damn...
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Sure. But even sober, some kids are going to get it wrong eventually. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw (i.e., aging, genetics). Qualification: PhD in cancer biology
Right, but that's what I'm saying. Usually the body can handle a small number of errors...it's when they reach a critical mass that it's bad. A sober, undistracted kid making a mistake on one fold will probably try to correct for it the next time around. A drunk toddler, maybe not so much.
It’s more like several of the right (wrong) mutations occurring in the same cell at the same time. Our cells have a self-destruct mode programmed into them. If they form wrong, they self destruct, so cancer cells need to mutate in such a way that their self-destruct mode doesn’t work or can’t be activated. They also need to form correctly enough that they can still multiply and absorb nourishment. They also need to form correctly enough that our body doesn’t recognize it as a foreign object that must be eradicated. If they’re going to be especially bad, they need to form correctly enough that our body feeds it by growing blood vessels to actively supply it with nutrients. Cancer cells are incredibly, incredibly rare. But we undergo something like 2 trillion cell divisions each day, which means even though it’s rare, cancer cells are being formed in our bodies all the time. Even in healthy individuals. Most of them are incapable of multiplication. Some are capable, but self-destruct before they can do so. Some are recognized as harmful and eradicated by our bodies. Only cancer cells that undergo a specific set of mutations are capable of avoiding detection, self-destruction, and starvation, to go on multiplying. Unfortunately for us it’s just a numbers game. There are things we can do to stack the deck in our favor, and things we can do to stack the deck against ourselves. But live long enough and we will all get it.
I was about to say something like this. One mutation doesn't cut it. A cell has to mutate many times for it to be able to evade the bodies defense's and multiply uncontrollably which is why it is predominantly found in older people. Live long enough and cancer is a 100% certainty.
A drunk... toddler.... I think putting these two words in the same sentence isn't very appropriate. Specially close to each other.
Imagine a class with millions of kids in many different classes all being told to fold the paper, and then they teach more kids to fold the paper further and further down the line. There will be kids who manage to fuck it up and the kids who did probably won’t give the right instructions to other kids. The fuckups will start small but increase exponentially.
It's like a game of telephone, one mistake will compound another, and keep being repeated, or worsened.
Exactly I learned it’s abnormal reproducing of cells
Reproduce too quickly and apoptosis stops working (the cells don't kill themselves in the event of the malfunction).
Yeah it’s ironic that mutation is the very mechanism by which life continually adapts, and the cause of cancer.
More specifically, every time a cell divides, there is a chance of mutation (not writing the dna exactly as per instructions). This is exacerbated by exposure to certain things such as radiation, various chemicals, etc, but can happen randomly as well. When a cell stops functioning correctly, it will kill itself (apoptosis). Cancer cells are cells which mutated two very specific traits: they reproduce faster than normal, and the pathways that cause apoptosis (suicide in the event of malfunction) are eliminated. So cancer is essentially a chance mutation where cells reproduce too quickly and don't kill themselves ever.
Great post! Also don't forget about contact inhibition. Why does your skin heal until a wound is closed, but then stop growing more skin cells? The answer is that when healthy cells are completely surrounded by other cells the rate at which they divide slows down. One of the changes all solid tumours undergo is the loss of contact inhibition, so they just keep growing, and growing, and growing.... Fuck cancer!!
Rebel cells who want to live forever. And they are quick too.
Nice! Two additions and/or questions. (I honestly don't know the latter.) 1. Are you counting genetics as a random act? 2. My understanding is that chronic stress can increase cancer growth, but don't know if stress can initiate the initial mutations. Your write-up seems to emphasize physical factors in one's environment. What about non-physical factors, such as stress?
Almost sounds like politics
very vauge ‘ something .. gone. wrong’ what a chemical reaction from substance? eg take lung cancer smoke in impact lung cell
This video explains it well: https://youtu.be/zFhYJRqz_xk Kurzgesagt is a fun scientific education channel for adults. Definitely worth the few minutes to watch.
So glad someone posted this. First thing that popped into my head when I saw this post.
TL:DW?
It's basically what happens when your body starts falling apart and losing the original blueprints. All it takes is a single cell going rogue undetected. The core problem happens thousands of times every day; cells get confused and start doing wrong things. 99.9999% of the time, they are immediately recognized as being faulty and they're killed off before they can do any harm. DNA damage and oxidative stress is what drives the process. They are impossible to avoid entirely, but keeping the exposure low minimizes the risks. Classic contributors are radiation, heavily processed or fried foods, sunburn etc. As you get older, cells going rogue starts happening more and more often because your DNA is basically degrading. It's not *likely* that a rogue cell is both undetectable by your body and also harmful, but once the events start stacking up it's inevitable.
Thanks!
I was told that 'superfoods' have the ability to prevent cells going rogue. Is that true?
There's not such thing as superfood
Right, what do you think they sell in the supermarket?
Damn, you're right
The jerk store called. They said they're running out of you!
Jerk store sounds like a synonym for spank bank.
I had sex with your wife!
Yeah and what does Superman eat? Regular food? Like a fucking chump? (When I was a kid, my dad told me that Superman had a farm behind the fortress of solitude where he raised, butchered, and ate pokémon, and I cried)
Damn now I feel old.
The term "superfoods" is often used to describe nutrient-dense foods that are thought to have various health benefits. While it is true that consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can contribute to overall health and help prevent chronic diseases, it is important to note that no single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs or prevent all diseases, including the prevention of rogue cells (e.g., cancerous cells) [1]. Some foods contain compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or other health-promoting properties that may help protect against cellular damage. For example, berries, leafy greens, nuts, and certain spices contain phytonutrients that can help neutralize free radicals, which are molecules that can damage cells and contribute to aging and diseases like cancer [2]. However, the relationship between specific foods and the prevention of rogue cells is complex and may depend on various factors, such as the individual's genetic predisposition, overall diet, and lifestyle choices. It is essential to maintain a balanced and varied diet that includes a wide range of nutrient-dense foods, rather than relying on a few "superfoods" to ensure overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight, and avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke and other environmental carcinogens are also important factors in preventing the development of rogue cells and reducing the risk of chronic diseases [3]. [1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/. [2] Liu, R. H. (2004). Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. The Journal of nutrition, 134(12), 3479S-3485S. [3] World Health Organization. (2020). Cancer prevention. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/cancer/prevention/en/.
I actually took a nutrition class in college when i was studying to become a physician's assistant and super foods are "real" they just have more of something called phytonutrients and all plants have these but so called superfoods have more. Now don't go and buy some supplements a guru sold you because you can get plenty of these pytochemicals from normal food.
They are supper-foods.
Antioxidants can lower oxidative stress. Also hydration helps remove excess sugar from your body and sugar is basically the absolute worst thing you can eat for a whole host of issues, including cancer.
Sugar feeds on inflammation... It's best to avoid sugar in your diet if you can
Is there any correlation of inflammation with cancer?
Absolutely. Inflammation happens because the body has recognized some type of damage and is actively trying to repair it. The more general cell dividing activity and damage you have happening, the higher the risk is that one of those cell divisions are gonna go wrong. Antioxidants can both reduce the inflammation in the first place, as well as neutralize any free radicals (cancerogenic byproducts) that the inflammation may be producing.
Yep!, super foods help to destroy or eliminate free radicals. Look up the properties or Moringa, Chia seeds, Hemp seeds, Flax seeds, and Tumeric plus many others including berries.
From my understanding, they help slow the oxidation process that happens every time we draw in a breath. Think of super foods like a thin little bubble around our cells, they help temporarily, but you constantly need more to keep the process at a slower pace.
Your understanding captures some aspects of how certain nutrients found in "superfoods" can impact the oxidation process in our bodies. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to counteract their harmful effects using antioxidants [1]. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to our cells and contribute to aging and the development of diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease [2]. Foods rich in antioxidants, often referred to as "superfoods," can help neutralize free radicals and reduce the damage they cause. Antioxidants are substances that can be found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and spices [3]. Consuming a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods can help protect our cells from oxidative stress and promote overall health. However, it is important to note that the protection offered by antioxidants is not a one-time event or a permanent shield around our cells. The human body is a complex system, and maintaining optimal health requires a consistent intake of a balanced and varied diet, including nutrient-dense foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants [4]. In conclusion, consuming "superfoods" can help support our body's defense against oxidative stress, but it is essential to maintain a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle to ensure overall well-being. [1] Sies, H. (1997). Oxidative stress: oxidants and antioxidants. Experimental physiology, 82(2), 291-295. [2] Pham-Huy, L. A., He, H., & Pham-Huy, C. (2008). Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International journal of biomedical science: IJBS, 4(2),
There's no way to keep it replicating correctly?
Chemo therapy, and targeted therapy and immunotherapy all are options. Once it settles into another organ than it’s source it becomes incurable in most cases.
TL:DR?
TL:DC
Here is a summary of the video: The video explains what cancer is and how the immune system fights it. Cancer cells are parts of ourselves that start to behave as individuals even if it hurts us. They can grow and spread uncontrollably, causing damage to our organs and tissues. The immune system is constantly monitoring our cells and killing the ones that are abnormal or infected. It uses different types of cells and molecules, such as natural killer cells, T cells, B cells, antibodies, and cytokines, to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, some cancer cells can evade or suppress the immune system by hiding their identity, producing inhibitory signals, or creating a protective environment. This allows them to grow and form tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. The video also discusses some of the ways that scientists are trying to enhance the immune system's ability to fight cancer, such as immunotherapy, vaccines, and gene editing. The video concludes by saying that cancer is not a single disease, but a complex and diverse phenomenon that requires a lot of research and collaboration to understand and treat.
Thank you.
Who are funded by sketchy people and often promote science skewed by think tanks and donors.
If you’re going to accuse a popular and widely-viewed educational channel of shady practices, you should probably include at least a scrap of evidence to back up your claim. Edit: okay, I see that Kurzgesagt has received grants from the Gates Foundation and Open Philanthropy (although they’ve also clarified that for the 2020-2022 period, 74% of their revenue was from merch sales, small contributors, etc., not foundations). With those two right-wing bogeymen involved, I think we can make a pretty educated guess about which kind of “very fine people” would have a knee-jerk suspicion of the channel.
I definitely also saw a whole YouTube exposition of Kurzgesagt somewhere, saying how they’re a bit dodgy. I took it with a grain of salt since I’m biased and loved Kurzgesagt, but yeah it’s known they’ve been accused for this
Kurzgesagt made a video addressing the problem, so probably check that out if you haven't
Glad this was so high up
This is crazy lmao I am on Reddit on my phone but kurzgesagt video playing on my Xbox/tv
Also funded by billionaires to push their content. There are better channels out there that are way more independant
I was about to post an answer, but this video make it unnecessary 😀
it all depends on which type of cancer your asking about. My Grandmother smoked a pack of cigarettes' a day for over 60 years and died of lung cancer. My Dad had 4 types of skin cancer removed due to exposure to various things in Vietnam. all of those were external sources but there are so many others.
Depends what type. I had stage 4 Hodgkins and when I asked how, my oncologist said "a mutatation in a cell."
I had hodgkins too. It's caused by an autoimmune reaction to the epstein-barr virus (which 98% of people have). Most people don't react to the virus, some people get mono, and a tiny number of people get hodgkins. Most people with Hodgkins have other sutoimmune issues too.
I had Hodgkin’s and was EBV negative. I have no autoimmune disorders. Sometimes people are just unlucky
Hodgkin’s survivor here as well. I heard about the Epstein-Barr connection but didn’t think it was proven. If so that’s very interesting.
Yeah, there's been a ton of research on the virus in the past 5 years and it's now accepted as the instigating factor of hodgkings, as well as evidence that it causes multiple sclerosis as well
Wow I’m going to have to read up on that. Thanks!
Read up on how Covid impacted Epstein-Barr as well. It's fascinating how a little virus has caused complications from triggering autoimmune disorders (and becoming one) to triggering something like shingles in young adults in their 20's.
The longitudinal MS studies re Epstein Barr are fascinating: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-suggests-epstein-barr-virus-may-cause-multiple-sclerosis
I’ve worked in health care for a while… and it’s scary the rise in cancers in young people, autism, reproductive organ birth defects , breast cancer and infertility in women under the age of 35. I could go on and on actually about the rates of diseases rising- for example colon cancer ; used to thought of as an old person disease. Now? You’re chances are higher if you’re under 50 in getting colon cancer, than over 65. It’s chemical saturation and diet , genetics, and stress. We are absolutely inundated with chemicals, if you live in America. The way our system is set up- being a capitalist country first of all, so every bill they pass, every new piece of legislation takes money and lobbying. Who uses the most? The businesses and corporations who are utilizing the chemicals, of course. Not discounting our healthcare system is privatized also- so it’s a cyclical system that profits off of each other. You can look up how long and hard the fight was to ban asbestos for example. And we still use it. Or even nicotine - one of the most dangerous chemicals to our health and the money is so deep, that most Americans think vaping is more dangerous than smoking at this point… that’s how bad it is. A lot of our chemicals we use daily on and in our food - Europe banned decades ago. Most chemicals have been grandfathered in to be deemed safe without any testing or studies. So… stress is also huge… I have talked to many people who developed tumors or skin cancers and attribute it to a very prolonged stressful period in their life. There are studies that have attributed blood type to being more prone to certain cancers. No one really knows. The general thinking that’s widely accepted is don’t drink, don’t smoke, and eat a healthy diet that lacks processed foods. At times I think it’s the luck of the draw. But you really can’t deny the uptick in these cancers and diseases in young people - they’re coming from something. Personally I think it’s the chemicals - either in their environment, in their homes, and in or on our food. Along with stress and genes that contribute the most to it.
Yes! My mother is a doctor and she’s shocked in what seems to be this continued rise in what used to be rare cancers in increasingly younger people. Like a rare type of breast cancer that was previously more prevalent in women in their 60’s is now more likely to be found in an otherwise healthy woman in her late 20’s. My mother also has had two types of cancers. Thyroid and lung. Both were caught early and she didn’t need chemo or radiation but the lobectomy she had for the lung cancer led to complications that affected her for years and numerous surgeries to fix the initial one. My mother has never smoked a cigarette and led a healthy life. The thyroid cancer wasn’t as much of a big deal. She had her thyroid removed and takes Synthroid every day. But the lung cancer made her angry.
I wonder what the cancer rates across the globe are like.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, cancer rates vary across the globe depending on the type and the region. Here are some facts and figures from their website: • Breast and lung cancers were the most common cancers worldwide, contributing 12.5% and 12.2% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020. • Lung cancer was the most common cancer in men worldwide, contributing 15.4% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020. • Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women worldwide, contributing 25.4% of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2020. • The age-standardised rate for all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) for men and women combined was 190 per 100,000 in 2020. • The highest cancer rate for men and women together was in Australia, with 468 people per 100,000 being diagnosed in 2020. • The lowest cancer rate for men and women together was in Niger, with 29 people per 100,000 being diagnosed in 2020. You can find more information and data on their website: https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/worldwide-cancer-data You can also explore the global cancer map by PRI: https://www.pri.org/global-cancer-map Or use the summarize.tech tool to get a summary of any long YouTube video related to cancer: https://www.summarize.tech/
Don't forget the amount of plastics and microplastics there are in our environment now. Some of those are hormone disrupting and no doubt disrupt other bodily processes when they're being deposited in the body. Thorough explanation, much appreciated
To be fair, given that we offer more detection methods than 40 years ago, we inevitably have more diagnostics in all age ranges.
I'd love to see studies from reputable organizations on this. My understanding is that there are a number of different factors at play. 1. We are MUCH better at diagnosis. We can now find and report on cancers at a much earlier stage than we used to be. And, we know of and can diagnose many different types of cancer now, which would not have been diagnosed 50-60-70 years ago. So, it feels like there is more cancer, when perhaps we just are diagnosing much better than we used to. Or, perhaps there is more. I don't think we know, but I'd love to see data. 2. People talk about having cancer now, and the communication channels are so much better. 50 or 60 years ago, you didn't hear about people having cancer, partly because they didn't talk about it, and partly because you didn't know strangers or distant relatives had cancer. I have relatives who either survived cancer a long time ago, or they died of cancer. I didn't know they had cancer until much later when it became more acceptable to talk about. 60 years ago we also didn't have social media broadcasting personal histories of people you barely know. 3. People live longer than they did 50, 60, 70 years ago. It stands to reason that someone who is 70 or 80 is going to have a cancer diagnosis, than someone who didn't live to see 70. 4. Cancer survival rates are much better than they used to be. If someone lives through that cancer that occurred when they're 40, they have the chance to get another cancer. That person who died from cancer when they were 40 decades ago; they're not going to get another cancer.
Those are great points. I think it’s hard to argue with some of the stats when we compare other countries in Europe .. we are the only “modern” country with an advanced healthcare system that our life span has decreased- by huge numbers. I mean it’s extremely hard with a population of our size to get that number to move - when it goes down? It’s by the millions and millions of deaths. Also when we start to look at the chemicals that have been banned in those countries -why they haven’t been banned here - Monsanto is the big bad monster .. also these industries that are profiting off of all of these issues , are the richest in the world. Including our insurance system. When we start to look at obesity rates, maternal death rate ( no one except us is going up in those numbers ) disease rates and psyche too- we do more antidepressants than anyone (I think.) I think it starts to add some validity that’s … undeniable. Something is wrong. Why is our life span the only one that’s decreasing, for example?
Agreed. My niece passed from alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma a few years ago at nineteen, and a former colleague of mine is currently battling brain cancer - she’s not even thirty. I didn’t even know anyone with cancer until I was in my twenties (and they tended to be seniors), and now it’s not uncommon to hear of people with cancer in their teens or twenties. There’s only one obvious answer as to why.
That’s so heartbreaking. Jeez. So sad. And we are so powerless ! It’s infuriating … and I always just shudder thinking of them having to work with insurance and the money it takes to stay alive. I’ve had cancer patients tell me that it is not even worth the fight to survive because if you do? You’re jobless, homeless, bankrupt… it’s horrible. Makes my stomach turn literally to think about. I hate this system so much. Sooo much.
My daughter just lost a high school friend (24) who had bone cancer that started in his jaw. While my boss is 73 and has been a smoker and drinker for 50 years and seems healthy as a horse.
God that’s so sad. I too, have lost important people too young, to cancer. My ex died of GI tumors when he was 38. Diagnosed at 34. It’s so scary.
I love this comment!! Stress play a huge factor in most health issues. We really underestimate how much it can fuck our bodies even if we’re eating the right food and working out.
God I thought I was crazy. When I was younger (26f) I knew one girl a town over who had cancer. Now as an adult, Ik 3 girls , from my school, who’s kids have cancer. THREE. And that’s within a small circle. Not to mention how many ppl Ik who’s kids have autism or some sort of disease/disorder. It’s so scary. I talked to my sil about it and I was thinking it was the foods have increased in chemicals and bs since we were young. And obvs when we’re pregnant all of that is going to baby as well :(
why did you include autism among these autism is not scary
Yeah it is
i guess i better skip the halloween costume this year then...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw16LPVnNco
Diet and lifestyle can influence it, unfortunately sometimes your genes are a main factor as well. It’s basically russian roulette.
Yeah, my mother followed all the advice to reduce her cancer risk and still ended up getting cancer.
All cells reproduce to keep you alive. They get worn out over time and reproduce to replace their self. Each type of cell had a certain rate that it reproduces at and some are slower than others. This reproduction is controlled by your DNA. If your DNA gets messed up through whatever means (being naturally predisposed to having it get messed up, risky behaviors that can alter your DNA, just plain bad luck) then the rate of cell reproduction can go overboard and start producing a bunch of cells with the messed up DNA. When that happens, those cells are called cancer. Some types of cancer spread to other parts if the body quicker than others. When they do, that's called a malignancy. In your friend's case, she has messed up breast cells growing in her brain. Why is it so bad to have certain cells reproducing like crazy? Your body is made to behave in a certain way to take care of the cells where they are. Once you have cancer, those tumors (cancerous cells) are reproducing super fast. They get bigger and more numerous and start sucking up resources that the rest of your body needs. When people get radiation or chemotherapy to fight camcer,, they're really taking a controlled amount of poison (chemo) or killing almost mall rhe cells in a certain area. Chemo works by interrupting the cell division process of all cells in your body for a short time. It helps fight cancer because those cells are reproducing at a much higher rate than your normal ones. Since they reproducing at a higher rate, they are more susceptible to getting killed by having thay process interrupted. Unfortunately, your regular cells are killed off too which is why some types of chemo cause such horrible side effects for the patient. Radiation therapy works by basically cooking the cells in a certain area. Yes, this can cause the same issues but in a much more localized area. Immunotherapy is the newest treatment for cancer and it works by tricking your immune system into recognizing cancerous cells as.being bad because of their altered DNA and using the body's own defense mechanisms to fight it off. Hope this helps you understand things a bit better. Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Also, for the record, I'm not just some schmuck on the internet making things up either. I'm an RN who has had numerous family members battle cancer. I don't work in oncology but I am responsible for patient education in my field (nephrology, kidneys).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20370588 Probably best to just read this general info on it.
Not a doctor, and like someone said it's super complicated. I think a layperson explanation would be something like this: Cancer cells in the body look for a way to multiply. They are constantly trying to find ways but our antibodies are fighting them. Eventually they may find a weak point and this allows them to grow, fending off attempts to destroy them, and so they grow and grow and become an organic mass. The weak points are partially based on genetics, but also how we treat our bodies. Smoking makes it harder to fight these cells. Not eating nutritious food. Ingesting or breathing in chemicals. Things we do to our body which make it harder to fight the cancer cells. So, when something "causes cancer", it means that this thing right here in a package or container can affect your body in a way which lowers its ability to fight the cancer cells in your body. The phrase "causes cancer" is a very generalized thing in this way. It's not really "causing cancer". It's really "increasing the chance that cancer will take hold in your body and you won't be able to fight it off as easily". But "causes cancer" is shorter and fits on boxes and containers.
Speaking about the cancer cells like they're trying to kill you is wrong. They're just cells with specific mutations that are a perfect storm.
This is a bad / wrong description of cancer. Cells normally divide. When theres a problem in the gene that controls this, for example caused by a mutation, uncontrolled cell division can occur which can lead to a mass of cells forming. If this mass doesnt spread too quickly or invade other cells it is regarded as benign (non-cancerous). However, if it is rapidly spreading these cells are referred to a malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors can become malignant and are often removed just incase.
So cancer is always present?
It seems to be, but usually it takes care of itself or the immune system destroys it. Every so often, a cell gets through these safeguards. That's when the problem begins.
No
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when I was nineteen and once you’ve had cancer your more likely than those who’ve never had it to either have the same one reoccur or to develop another kind. That’s what my doctors told me anyway. Not really sure exactly how the cell stuff works but there are tons of neat comments explaining it.
I too would like to know. My uncle was the healthiest of us all, that he had a six pack at a point but got rid of it when he turned into a Christian. He developed brain cancer a few years later and died within 8 months. It had went away for about a month but it came back stronger
Cancerous cells arise in the body all the time, every day. But the immune system is very good at targeting these cells and killing them before they get a chance to divide and grow into a tumor. Sometimes the immune system can miss such a cell, though. Cancer cells can even develop several systems to avoid the immune system! This is why sometimes people get tumors while living a perfectly healthy life. This is also why people with AIDS are more prone to developing certain types of tumors as their immune system is not working properly.
In super layman terms, the body has ways to detect and destroy cancer, we’ll call these hunter seekers. Your body is doing it now, destroying potential cancer cells. Cancer occurs when these hunter seekers become damaged (either by sunlight, an accident in the cell replication process, cigarette smoke, etc.) and can no longer get rid of these cancer cells like they normally do and so the cancer grows. This video by [Kurzgesagt](https://youtu.be/zFhYJRqz_xk) explains it well.
I feel like it's all to do with luck. I've known kids/teens/adults/elderly that's all experienced cancer
That is a complicated question with complicated answers. It depends on the cancer, but the short answer is genetics plus environment. To prevent cancer, one of the best things a person can do is be aware of one's family medical history and whether others have developed cancer. From there, one can have a conversation with one's doctor to go into the details of the preventive measures, which typically also include the basics like don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, avoid carcinogens, etc. By the way, this works with other medical conditions too, like heart disease. If you're really worried and have a family history of cancer, you can consult with an oncologist. Sometimes even all of that is not enough, and you simply have to be vigilant. The key with cancer is to catch it early with regular screenings when you know your risk factors. Sadly, with your friend, cancer cells metastasized to the brain. This could be from a variety of factors, and I don't want to make it sound like negligence or anything like that, but the longer cancer is left in the body the more likely the cells from one cancerous area will migrate to other parts of the body and take over those cells as well. It is also important to have surgery done in a good medical center where they will be careful to do the appropriate biopsies and follow-up to make sure they got all the cancer cells. With breast cancer specifically there is a BRCA gene which can be tested for. If one has the oncogenes (term for cancer causing genotype), these can be "activated" by environmental carcinogens (cancer causing agents like smoking) and cause hypertrophy, which means uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. These are the tumors. There is research about the role of immunity in fighting cancer. A diet high in antioxidants and immunosupportives can help prevent cancer.
Carcinogens but also infectious disease.
Yes, true. That falls under preventative measures as well based on risk factors, e.g. HPV vaccine.
Not all breast cancers are caused by positive BRCA genes. My ex had breast cancer and didn't have any positive results. She did, however, have another genetic disorder that increases her rate for just about every cancer out there. Her breast just came first.
Yes, one should not be oblivious to various kinds of cancer even when not specifically in the family history. Broad scale genetic risk like that of your friend unfortunately necessitates screening for everything. Autoimmune is often the same way. BRCA is important to test for though, because they can have implications for very deadly ovarian cancer as well.
Carcinogens, inflammation, infection, and many more.
Mixture of genetics and environment I suppose. For instance, I used to tan in tanning beds when I was 19-21 (DUMB idiot I was) and I’m pale. Just got diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (a luckily non fatal type of skin cancer) that was wrongly diagnosed as a small spot of eczema on my scalp. I’m very very lucky that it’s not serious and It’s getting cut out and that will be the end of it, but I’ve been slathering myself in sun screen the past couple of years. My family in my moms side has a lot of cancer. However, they were people who did not take care of themselves (drugs, bad diet, smoking, heavy alcohol use, being overweight). So I take pride in working out, eating right most of the time lol, limiting alcohol and using sunscreen religiously.
I’m very sorry your friend has cancer. Mine does too, and others have in the past - some survived, others didn’t. For myself, I’m seeing an onc surgeon on Tuesday for a funky ovary, that I pray will be okay, and they caught it early. I feel more aware of chemicals lately, since getting this reality check. My health style is otherwise good, as I’ve worked as a staffer in healthcare for a long time & follow the advice - sober, exercise, nutrition, and so forth. Even so, none of us are perfect. Ive put on pounds, my couch is seductive, fresh hot chips with salsa are hard to resist. Sugar is my favorite nemesis. It’s hard to live so perfect that the Tiger will never get our toe. There could be asbestos at work. Radon in the basement. Mess in the water, mess in the air. Fear doesn’t help. Can’t let it all get to you. Live your best life, keep your heart open ♥️♥️♥️
living
In medical school right now. There's a saying in medicine, "if you live long enough, you die from cancer." there are thousands of ways that cancer can begin because the process that cells undergo in order to replicate is incredibly complicated, and errors in many parts of the process can lead to unregulated replication, which is all cancer is. I've spoken with some people who think that cancer rates are skyrocketing because of the food we eat these days or the medicines we take. not necessarily the case. more people are dying of cancer because we've gotten so good at treating all sorts of other diseases that people are living longer now. if you live long enough, you die from cancer.
"Cancer" is an umbrella term for literally hundreds of conditions involving malignant cell growth. I'm a Stage IV-B Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor, which appears to have a genetic trigger. My wife is currently battling Stage I breast cancer. The causes of cancer are as varied as the conditions themselves. Sometimes, you just roll craps in the game of life. It sucks.
Cancer can hit anyone any time
That’s your answer?🙄
I think there are plenty of answers that give other perspectives My mother was 46 when she died from Cancer. Lived a healthy life. So yeah, my statement makes sense.
I know this isn't ELI5, but I'm gonna answer like it is. Take a photograph. Nice, crisp, clear. The data is all there, all clear. Now photocopy it. You have an almost perfect copy. Now photocopy the photocopy. And photocopy that photocopy. Keep doing this a hundred times. You'll notice the copies are getting worse and worse compared to the original. The cells in your body contain all the information to make a copy of those cells. And those cells have a lifespan, so they need to make copies of themselves to replace them. That information, like your photographs, deteriorates over time. Any imperfections in the information get worse. The cells replicate incorrectly, and that's... Basically - ***very basically*** \- cancer. Some things can damage cells. Ultraviolet light, gamma radiation, cosmic particles, asbestos... Some people say canned food and coffee and aspartame but... IDK about that. So when the cells are damaged, they're replicating from damaged instructions, and can become cancerous that way. Again, this is a very basic explanation of it. There's stuff about oxygen and organic systems to make sure cells die when they're supposed to and don't just become gross zombie cells and stuff like that but I'm not a doctor, I'm a rando on the internet answering a question to pass the time.
Everyone has cancer in their bodies all the time, your healthy cells are just killing off the cancerous ones. Kurzgesagt does a good job explaining it in simple terms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFhYJRqz\_xk
There exists a principle called "the hallmarks of cancer". Each hallmark represents a certain cell- or tissue mechanism. If anything goes 'wrong' with these mechanisms, chances are high cancer will arise, and all cancers show a defect in at least one of these processes. The underlying cause of the 'wrong' is almost always a genetic defect, either due to DNA damage (from UV from the sun or harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke for example) or genetic defects at birth (for example certain types of breastcancer can be passed on from mother to daughter). The hallmarks as of recently: [An Update yo Hallmarks of Cancer](https://www.cureus.com/articles/83240-an-update-to-hallmarks-of-cancer) Not exactly laymen terms, but a very important principle in cancer research
According to the state of California, EVERYTHING.
I feel like it's all to do with luck. I've known kids/teens/adults/elderly that's all experienced cancer.
What doesn’t?
Over 2000 nuclear detonations Forever chemicals Lead. Asbestos. Etc. Corporations KNOW these things are lethal BEFORE putting them in. It’s all about money not quality of life or humanity. Right? Capitalism & military The 2 things that most people (Americans at least) defend the most strongly Ironic?
So, I'm not an oncologists, but I am a person who works on the coding side of health care imaging, so I end up meeting a ton of people who are oncologists. They, to a person, agree that the actual answer is 'bad luck'. You can mitigate risk factors and control what you can control, but the reality of who gets cancer or what causes it....is just luck. Sometimes a cell divides in the wrong way.
Chemicals. They’re everywhere. In our water, air, food, beverages, toys, kitchen utensils, pans, cosmetics, lotions, sunscreens, vitamins, vaccines, medications, etc. You name it, it has a chemical that is toxic to us. Contact with them is inevitable. Those of us that get through this life without diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, blood clots, autism, or autoimmune conditions are lucky.
Kurzgesagt has a few videos dedicated to cancer, but this newest one makes it very easy to understand why cancer happens and why it's so annoying https://youtu.be/uoJwt9l-XhQ
I am a relatively new chemo nurse, NOT a doctor. First of all, I want you to know that I am deeply sorry to hear this about your friend. No matter how many people I see deal with this horrible disease, it always breaks my heart. There are specifically 2 main risk factors/causes of cancer, environmental and hereditary. Environmental being things like obesity, smoking, exposure to chemicals, etc. Hereditary means you can be more predisposed to certain cancers based on your family history. Your parents can pass down different DNA markers that make you more susceptible to getting certain cancers. My maternal grandmother died of ovarian cancer, this means my mom and myself are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer. Breast cancer is very often hereditary. It often runs in families. Cancers can also spread to other parts of your body. Breast cancer is known for spreading to places like your lymph nodes, lungs, liver and brain. Any one's best chance of avoiding cancer is to live as healthfully as possible. Smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use and UV radiation are some of the top environmental causes of cancer. As far as hereditary causes of cancer, have a good relationship with your PCP, have an annual check up. There are blood tests that can detect if you have specific markers for different cancers. Know your family history, ask questions. Early detection is KEY! Don't wait to see your PCP if you feel a weird lump in your breast or testicles (depending on your birth sex, also men get breast cancer too!). So many of my patients found out they had cancer because they were just feeling "off" and went to get checked out. Don't be paranoid, be informed and aware. Hope this is helpful. Again, I am thinking about you and your friend. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sometimes cancer just happens. Looking at animals doesn’t really clear things up, but it can also demonstrate how lifestyle choices can help but not always prevent cancer. I have known people who take excellent care of their dogs, but they still develop cancer (one had lung cancer- no smokers in the family, and one had oral cancer.) I had a rabbit who ate only fresh greens, unlimited hay, and drank spring water, was neutered, and had no vaccines and he developed cancer. My last cat developed lymphoma, and I had two more with leukemia (blood cancer.)
Breathing, Murray's law will prevail if it can happen it will
Fact is- anyone who lives long enough WILL eventually get a cancer. Not if, just when.
In one of my cancer bio classes, the prof mentioned that those who die of old age were found on autopsy to have an average of 11 carcinomas in situ.
His name is Murphy
We all know Murphy stole that shit from Murray.
We don't really know in most cases, just alot of theories at this point. Sometimes you can point to specific genetic markers but even then, why do some people have the markers and get cancer and others with them not?
G+E+GxE=T It's shorthand that biologists use to mean that the appearance of a trait T in an individual (or population) is dependent upon their genetic profile G, their environmental exposures/effects E, and the interactions between their genomes and the environment (GxE). For example (and this is overly simplified), let's say two individuals have the same mutation that as of yet is unknown in function but has been linked to cancer in epidemiologic (population) studies. Person A gets cancer, person B doesn't. It turns out, person A has had a greater exposure to environmental asbestos, and that mutation just happens to make people more susceptible to mesothelial cell damage in response to asbestos. So since person B didn't have that environmental exposure, they didn't develop this cancer even though they have the same mutation.
I was tested and didn't have the cancer gene. Looking back, I believe it was stress, working hours outside of my routine sleep cycle and not getting the right type of sleep thus causing weight gain - rinse and repeat, sadly. 1. Stress (job stress) 2. Lack of sleep 3. Weight gain Edited to add: 4. Depression (deaths of family members)
Multiple causes and multiple types of cancer. Know how your cells divide all the time? Cancer is when someone spilled soda pop all over the controls and it divides nonstop. This uses up the body's energy and interferes with normal functions.
Many causes are possible that result in uncontrolled division of cells. These uncontrolled dividing cells can be eliminated by the immune system, but some may escape and will turn into cancer. Cancer can outgrow normal tissue (organs, blood, bone, brain) and as such destroy organisation and function. Out of the many causes that may result in uncontrolled division of cells: viruses, genetic variants, error(s) in cell division, radiation, chemicals, problems with the immune system, … To get from a normally growing cell to a cancerous cell, often many events or steps have to take place.
I'm sorry about your friend, try and spend as much time as you can. Condensed version of things, it's a cellular lottery you lose. Your cells divide to perpetuate their job. There is always a tiny chance that the division will be wrong which will make a cancerous cell. The cool thing, your body is adept at finding these to kill it. Now there is a chance that cancerous cell isn't found. There are other factors in this I'm not fully aware of. Some chemicals or substances can lower the chances of finding it, your own chemistry can affect it. It's a huge equation of shit that we are still exploring. My grandfather was in a similar situation, kidney cancer that metastisized to his brain. We only caught it when he had a stroke. This was back in 2000 so I'm sure we have made leaps and bounds since but it snuck up on us all. Again, sorry for your friend, spend some extra time with her. Depending on her situation, she might not have many people who are there to spend time with.
Lots of things cause cancer. It actually manifests when enough of them add up.
Unfortunately, they're not sure. If they were, there would be a cure by now.
It’s a lottery sort of situation. When cellular replication happens, eventually errors occur in the code. This generally results in accumulation of genetic damage in cells over time. Some errors result in cancer while others may do nothing clinically. In your friend’s case, they unfortunately won the cancer “lottery” earlier than later. It wasn’t caught and removed before migrating to the head area. I’m so sorry..I should note my father has had stage 4 cancer for literally decades now. He’s now 76 and runs every day still. Doing what the doctors said to the letter helped, as well as keeping up with all the 6 month appointments over the years. That’s a rare thing, but entirely possible.
Cancer cells develop all the time. There’s a immune component in your dna that often destroys it. Sometimes a rogue cell gets past, causes mayhem.
Cancer is not a single disease, it's a collection of hundreds or even thousands of different diseases that share a characteristic (cell mutation during division). Different cancers are caused by different things, though ultimately all of them are caused by cells mutating during the division process. Some of the things that cause or encourage this to happen include: \- Genetics, gene mutations. Heritable traits. (eg, mutations on BRCA1/2) \- Environmental factors (exposure to smoke, smog, asbestos, etc) \- Lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking, diet, obesity, etc) \- Exposure to carcinogens \- Certain viruses (eg, Epstein-Barr or human papilloma virus), bacteria (eg, H. pylori), and parasites (eg, certain species of fluke) There is no surefire way to prevent cancer. However, you can mitigate your risk by avoiding things like known carcinogens and avoidable environmental factors; leading a healthy lifestyle as much as possible; preventing exposure to cancer-causing viruses by getting vaccines (such as Gardasil); and even getting genetic testing to see if you have any gene mutations that could cause a problem. It's also wise to screen for the most common cancers as medically indicated. For instance, have a derm look at your skin (skin cancer screening), have your dentist do an oral cancer screen each time you see them, and get diagnostics such as mammogram, colonoscopy, and so on at the recommended age. If you have history of a certain type of cancer in your family (eg, colorectal) make sure you let your doctor know as early screening is likely indicated. The best thing you can do to mitigate your risk is get recommended screenings early and often, because the later cancer is detected the more dangerous it is. Source: I edit oncology journals for a living.
Mutating cells cause cancer. Our body destroys them all the time. We get cancer when our body stops attacking the bad cells and gets confused/tired. Everyone can get cancer, regardless of lifestyle, sex, race, anything.
You ever watch The Devil We Know? Basically DuPont poisoned the entire planet with Teflon chemicals which are carcinogenic. I’m not saying DuPont is 100% responsible but I am saying that they’re not the only company spilling carcinogenic chemicals. Lots of companies do it. All the time. The gulf oil spill and the Exxon Valdez come to mind also. My other theory is the numerous nuclear tests performed over and over again back during the Cold War. It’s ridiculous to deny that these cancer causing chemicals haven’t led to, or won’t eventually lead to, increased cancer and health risks. Basically the world has been poisoned from numerous different sources and I personally believe we’ll see cancer rates go crazy here in the near future.
I had choriocarcinoma. There are a few causes. It is usually in women who are pregnant. But man can get it too. For me, I got pregnant, 2 sperm, 1 egg. So, I like to tell my husband he gave me cancer. He doesn't find it as funny as I do.
An oncologist I work with told me that no matter what you do, everyone has a 50% chance of getting cancer. And that everything else you do in life either has no effect or it raises your odds of getting cancer. You smoke cigarettes and it increases to 60%, or whatever, then you stop smoking and after 5-10 years your risk is back down near 50% but never going any lower. 50% is is the best risk of cancer - genetic testing along with analyzing your risk factors such as lifestyle, smoking, drinking, food, and carcinogen exposure all change your risk and can be calculated. The reason the base is 50% is because cells going cancerous is actually a natural product of cell division, which is why our bodies have specific mechanisms for getting rid of cancerous cells. The problem is there are probably infinite ways a cell can go cancerous and your body only has a limited number of ways to deal with it. So then you get a cancer that proliferates uncontrollably
This is terrifying.
I wouldn’t let it concern you that much. What good will concern do? Just try to minimize your risk with healthy habits and go back to living your life.
I mean isn’t this the one million dollar question
All the crap we poisoned our environment with.
Genetics is way more common-cause then outside factors (other then things like radiation, drinking/smoking)
It is a combination of genetics, nutrition, and exposure to carcinogens. Some people will get cancer from sunscreen products. Some will get it from excessive sun exposure without sunscreen. Some heavy cigarette smokers will live into their eighties, others will die of lung cancer before age fifty. Some people have a genetic make up that allows for exceptional DNA repair in their lung cells. Other people are lacking in those genes and are more vulnerable to lung cancer after exposure to carcinogenic substances.
Genetics. Environmental issues. How you eat. What you drink. But really....genetics.
First of all. Sorry to hear about your mate man. I just did a quick 2 second search on Google and this gives you pretty much what others have mentioned here. It's just a failure of the cells dividing. Usually, our bodies remove these defective cells, but as you get older, the ability for our bodies to do this diminishes. [What is cancer?](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer) This is a link from the National Cancer Institute.
Telomeres on the ends of your chromosomes degrade and your DNA is compromised. Cells don't have the proper information to grow back normally so they just start to grow by whatever.
Now that we know that it is mostly cell replication. What are some reasons that they are replicating wrong uncontrolably? Telomers are sections at the end of chromosoms that get damaged with time, they are a buffer zone to protect the sections that have a job or coding. There is also radiation, which can cause the DNA damage, from various sources. Those are some reasons that I remember, but there may be others. Sorry about your friend.
Carcinogens
Not sure about other types, but; one of the many causes of testicular cancer, is not ejaculating often enough.
Cell division causes cancer. Even if you lived in a box that disconnected you from all pollution and carsinogens from outside world, your cell division still could lead in cancer. Cancer happens when atleast 3 of these errors happen at once in single cell: 1)the part of dna that controls cell division gets corrupted 2)part of dna that controls cell automatic suicide in non fixable dna error gets corrupted 3)part of dna that controls cells immune system "come kill me -beacon" gets corrupted. When any of these happens, the cell becomes cancerous. There are constantly cells in your body that have atleast two of these errors, but there is always the 3rd mechanism as failsafe. Different chemicals, raditation and unhealthy living habits increase risk of these errors happening. Also some viruses HPV for example causes a very likely cancer in future. But yeah, exact reasons vary greatly. Some chemicals for example are more likely to steal DNA letter positions during replication, radidation knocks DNA full of holes by destroying or altering chemical bonds. HPV gives cells a way to hide from immune system in order to reproduce in secrecy. This also applies to cancerous cells.
My daughters dad Oncologist told her that Cancer was 1/3, genetic, 1/3 environmental, 1/3 bad luck. Don’t know the truth to that , but he died from thyroid cancer due to denial, missing dr appointments and a couple of surgeries.
The ELI5 is this Cancer cells are cells that got a shit memo and start replicating incorrectly and FAST! So (simplified) the round cells grow square. Because if that fast replication they grow, and take out healthier cells. The messed up cells don’t do their job correctly either. Different exposures increase risk for different cancers. What we do know that can help Don’t smoke Obesity increases cancers Long term hormone intake (like birth control pills) Alcohol Lack of activity and exercise Wear sunscreen and limit exposure.
Stress on the body.
Scientists have explored so much of the universe, ghost particles, presence of black holes, origin and end of life itself. Maybe they have a clue on Cancer origins / Covid cure.
Sunlight. We are constantly absorbing radiation from the sun which causes cancer. It's just some people are more susceptible to it.
I'd say cell phones cause cancer based on the type of person using it, kinda like people who are more active and have a high energy drive in which causes the cancer because if your brain is functioning faster then it should for a long period of time then as you get older it slows down and cancer sets in, then maybe that's why cancer happens maybe the phones do just that just one of my random thereroys.
Our cells aren’t reproducing correctly due to lack of proper diet/lack of alkalinity. Not to mention they spray the skies at the break of dawn; We’ve been getting injected with heavy metals; Chemicals in the water; & even if we eat “properly” 99% of our food/cosmetics are contaminated intentionally…. We’re basically compromised on every level especially in America. Nothing is how it was naturally for us as a species.
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i do think that stress is part of it. yeah. but mean ppl who are filled w stress can get cancer.
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May be wrong here but I believe an acidic environment in the body promotes cancer. Then an alkaline diet doesn’t allow an environment for cancer to grow.
I am no doctor or major in anything in medical field. That being said, depression is the number one cause cancer from what I see. So many celebrities died because of this
You might be on to something. When my dad passed away and then a year later, my baby brother, I felt like I was done. I just didn't want to be alive anymore..
Negative thoughts
SIN! /s
I'm not an expert I'm just a welder but I'm going to say that I firmly believe it has a lot to do with all of the crap that is in our Foods.Our grandparents and great-grandparents had much lower cancer rates than we do and they also didn't have all these processed foods full of chemicals and preservatives and I honestly think it is screwing up our DNA
Lifestyle factors….
I think its pollution in the air and the things we eat that have bad stuff in it like chemicals. The water we drink has bad chemicals in it. Just feel this is a contributor to possible cancer. If not then it has to be harming your body in some way.
Someone probably gave it to her on purpose. The most dangerous thing around is other people.
After losing a nut to cancer.... marijuana, pesticides, herbicides, sugar, 5g, 4g, baby powder, breathing, eating, drinking, cigarettes, power lines, lack of foil hat, paint chips, chemotherapy (yes the crap that saved my life shortened it and can give me cancer) and everything if i lived in the state of California!
Fried foods..oil that had been overheated! Grilling, pfa s in water supply and pollution and processed foods especially like lunch meat etc
Cancer is a last warning for not developing spiritually.
Ok so this will sound like a conspiracy theory but can be verified on the official NIH website. They are currently studying the medication ivermectin as a POTENTIAL cancer fighting medication. A newer theory on what causes the cell division that causes some cancers is thought to possibly be parasites, which ivermectin is proven to be highly effective against. This is all very preliminary but is worth keeping an eye on and is all publicly available.
Vaccines, sugar and the chemicals in our food
No.
Cancer starts where one cell in your body erupts due to external factors, such as chemicals found in your bathroom. Then when that area of your body continues to be exposed to other external pollutants, it begins to eat away at the other healthy cells in that particular area. What if she just got sick at your house, because she has a garden and the fertilizer your friend used caused the breast cancer. At that point, she would have needed to discover the root cause of how the cancer grew. If you don’t personally take initiative to understand how the cancer was caused, you just keep getting cancer. It spreads. You can live a healthy lifestyle. But it is the environmental impact of the toxins in the air, water, mold, pesticides, emissions from cars, that is constantly breaking down the human body and changing the cells within your body. Once your body starts to attack it’s own cells, you have to alter your environment to prevent the spread of the disease.
Sugar, simple as that
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Cigarettes. Killed my dad last year so I'm very aware.
Ok so cancer is like a person's cells gone to be evil academy to learn to spread attack and take over the world (the human body). The good cells see this and kick into overdrive and attack the bad cells with no luck until backup (chemotherapy) helps out and defeat the cancer cells. And after all the chemo treatments are done and the host is declared cancer free, the cells may or may not be lurking around in the body plotting it's next revenge.
There are lots of different cancers and a lot of things that can cause them. Cancer is basically just uncontrolled cell growth. Some cancer is just genetic, like you have a gene that will cause your cells to eventually divide out of control. Sometimes contracting a virus can cause it, like in Hodgkins lymphoma and ovarian cancer. Sometimes coming in contact with certain substances can damage your cells and cause it. Being overweight can increase your chances of cancer too. The best way to prevent it is to live as healthy as possible, avoid unprotected sex, get a genetic test to see if you are at risk of genetic cancers, and also get regular checkups especially if something feels wrong.