Cancer And its Causes

Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control.

Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Cancer cell growth is different from normal cell growth. Instead of dying, cancer cells continue to grow and form new, abnormal cells.

Growing out of control and invading other tissues are what makes a cell a cancer cell.

What is Cancer

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When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that unrestrictedly grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death & when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death, instead of this continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

Causes of Cancer

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Cancer is such a common disease that it is no surprise that many families have at least a few members who have had cancer. Sometimes, certain types of cancer seem to run in some families.

It can also be due in part to other factors, like obesity, that tend to run in families and influence cancer risk.

But in some cases the cancer is caused by an abnormal gene that is being passed along from generation to generation. Although this is often referred to as inherited cancer, what is inherited is the abnormal gene that can lead to cancer.

Only about 5% to 10% of all cancers result directly from gene defects (called mutations) inherited from a parent

1. Heredity & Cancer

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Cancer is a disease of abnormal gene function. Genes are pieces of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). They contain the instructions on how to make the proteins the body needs to function, when to destroy damaged cells, and how to keep the cells in balance.

Your genes control things such as hair colour, eye colour, and height.

Cancer is caused by changes (mutations) to the DNA within cells. Errors in the instructions may allow a cell to become cancerous.

There are 2 major types of gene mutations, inherited and acquired:

2. Genes & Cancer

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Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality. Cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviours − activities that people choose to do.Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.

Cigars are also tobacco, and they are dangerous to your health. And like cigarettes, cigars give off second-hand smoke, which can fill a room for hours.

3. Smoking & Cancer

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Research has shown that poor diet and not being active are two key factors that can increase a person’s cancer risk.Besides quitting smoking, some of the most important things you can do to help reduce your cancer risk are:

Get to and stay at a healthy weight throughout life.Be physically active on a regular basis.Make healthy food choices with a focus on plant-based foods.Choose foods and drinks in amounts that help you get to and maintain a healthy weight.

4. Physical activity

A carcinogen is something which can damage a cell and make it more likely to turn into a cancerous cell. As a general rule, the more the exposure to a carcinogen, the greater the risk.

Substances and exposures that can lead to cancer are called carcinogens. Some carcinogens do not affect DNA directly, but lead to cancer in other ways. For example, they may cause cells to divide at a faster than normal rate, which could increase the chances that DNA changes will occur.

Well-known examples include:Radon, Asbestos, Hair dyes, Lead, Formaldehyde, Benzene, Diesel exhaust, Radiation exposure

5. Carcinogen

Radiation is the emission (sending out) of energy from any source.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. The main source of UV rays is the sun.Most skin cancers are a direct result of exposure to the UV rays in sunlight.

Skin cancers are linked to certain behaviours that put people in the sun, as well as a number of markers of sun exposure, such as:Spending time in the sun for recreation (including going to the beach)Spending a lot of time in the sun in a swim suitLiving in an area with a high amount of sunSerious sunburns in the past Signs of sun damage to the skin, such as liver spots, actinic keratosis and solar elastosis (thickened, dry, wrinkled skin caused by sun exposure) on the neck.,

Artificial source of UV rays are Welding & metal work, Phototherapy.

6. UV Rays

Along with the large & growing number of cell phone users, the amount of time people spend on their phones has also risen sharply in recent decades.Cell phones (including smartphones) give off a form of energy known as radiofrequency (RF) waves, which might increase the risk of brain tumours or other tumours in the head and neck area.

Cell phones work by sending signals to (and receiving them from) nearby cell towers (base stations) using RF waves. This is a form of electromagnetic energy like FM radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and heat.

Many factors can affect the amount of RF energy to which a person is exposed, including:The amount of time the person is on the phone.Whether or not the person is using the speaker mode on the phone or a hands-free device.The distance and path to the nearest cell phone tower.

7. Cell Phones

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