I don't get the point of cancer research. Isn't it just our diets and lifestyles?

Question

I'm not trying to be negative. I would do BACKFLIPS if they found a cure for cancer. My Grandpa died from blood cancer. But in my opinion, cancer is caused from being overweight, smoking, doing drugs, eating animal products such as beef and milk with hormones/antibiotics in it, being stressed, not excercising, air pollution, cell phone and microwave radiation, trans/sat. fats, pesticides/herbicides, ...................
Why isn't the government or the research organizations taking the donated money to entice companies be more socially responsible, starting laws banning animal hormones and pesticides, or giving money to help organic companies so they can sell their items cheaper (which would induce consumers to buy healthier)?
I don't know if there really is a cure for cancer...do you think so? I believe the world has changed so much and people have become so lazy that cancer is the result. I feel like people who donate might as well throw their money out the window.
Don't be angry at me....it's just a thought.

Answer 1

All cancers require three changes to the genes in a cell. I don't remember what those changes are, but I do know that I have a mass of cells in my prostate which have two of those three changes, now. If just one of those cells somehow has the third change happen in its genes, then I'll have cancer.



There are many factors which can cause those three changes. Radiation can change / damage genes, so doctors try to limit the number of x-rays that people have. Chemicals can cause those changes, so it's good to avoid too many chemicals at work, in the home, in your food, etc. Sunlight can cause those changes in the skin. Smoking can cause those genetic changes. Random cosmic rays from outer space are penetrating our bodies 24-7; they can cause those changes. Sometimes those changes happen; sometimes they don't. It's unpredictable. Some kinds of virus cause cancer. There's a movement in the public health community today to have young women vaccinated against the Human Papilaloma Virus (or something like that).



In summary, it's not as simple as you make it. There is so much that doctors don't know about cancer, that research must go on.

Answer 2

If, as you say, in your opinion "cancer is caused from being overweight, smoking, doing drugs, eating animal products such as beef and milk with hormones/antibiotics in it, being stressed, not excercising, air pollution, cell phone and microwave radiation, trans/sat. fats, pesticides/herbicides, ....." then would you care to explain why dogs get it? And elephants?



And you are woefully uneducated if you think "back in the day" there was less cancer, there are Egyptian mummies with cancerous tumors, silly goose! When people died of cancer in the Middle Ages it was attributed to "evil spirits".



I AM angry at you because if your kind of ignorance were to prevail, people would die that did not need to...I can only hope you NEVER are in a position to make decisions about other people's lives!

Answer 3

Its not that simple. Clearly, unhealthy life styles do effect the risks of cancer.... we have seen the stats with tobacco alone. BUT, we still dont know exactly what it is about those unhealthy lifestyles that cause the cancer. We still have a LOT of people who have lived healthy lifestyles their entire life that get cancer.



No matter how much we cut back on unhealthy living, cancer will never not be a problem until we can figure out exactly what causes the change to cancer, and how it happens.

Answer 4

If that were true than why do children, teens and young adults get cancer . . why do young males get far more cancer than young females. Why do people in the same family, exposed to the same things . . not get identical cancers. For every single thing that you have mentioned there are hundreds upon hundreds of exceptions . . not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer . . and not everyone who has lung cancer ever smoked . . melanoma isn't just caused by the sun . . infants can be born with melanoma.



There are over 200 different types of cancer and just as many subtypes . . and the overwhelming majority no one knows what 'causes' them to occur in some people but not in others. If what you said were true than anyone overweight would get cancer . . but they don't . . everyone who smoked would get cancer . .but they don't . . everyone who ate beef would get cancer . . but not only do they not . . but people who are vegetarians can still get cancer.



What you have not accounted for . . is the fact that cancer is an ancient disease. It's been around for millions of years . . long, long before industrialization or a modern world . . you need to do more research . . cancer is old . . and it not only affects humans, but every single animal and plant life on the planet . . for ages.



ACS: The history of cancer

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_the_history_of_cancer_72.asp



"Our oldest description of cancer (although the word cancer was not used) was discovered in Egypt and dates back to about 1600 B.C. It is called the Edwin Smith Papyrus, and is a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. It describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were treated by cauterization, with a tool called the fire drill. The writing says about the disease, "There is no treatment."





So . . there goes your neat little theory . . you are wrong.

Answer 5

Yea, cancer and money are related.

No there are genetic predispositions as well.

Many variables but I agree with you mostly.



The human body is incredibly resilient

The firmware DNA we are programmed in

has amazingly good tolerence levels before

breaking down.



Viruses and bacteriophages play a role in

chromosomal events (good and bad) since they literally

cut and paste as part of reality.

There is some luck of the draw with regard to the

individuals or families exposure to random mutational and

viral forces.





Where our ancestors foraged and feasted

we should be warned away from doing the same

since the nature of the lifestyle and diets

have changed to include the hazardous.



Previously not available and unseen.

Now contaminated and visible...... yet



Most are unwilling (unmotivated to change) because

of our cultural programming we have embedded

which resulted from the complexities of humanity.





We are

still running ancient software in our minds - collectively

Modern man has not evolved with balance between material and spiritual

as say the aborigines lived unchanged for 60000 years.





But now it is like cleaning a house as you live in it.

For every spoon you use , wash and put away

you have to get 3-99 other spoons to wash and put away

to make up for before. But is our climate summit achieving this type

of action?



Our sun has at least another two hundred million years

to burn... guess our desendents if any will be living underground/undersea

and by then the money will all be in one place :)



ps Me... biggest hypocrite but at least I know what to do :)

Answer 6

Well, you seem to be quite an extremist when it comes to the reasons why people get cancer. Let me break this down for you...I recently survived stage 2B cervical cancer at age 27. Let me go down your list of crap you mention and give you my stats:



My BMI has always ranged between 20-24, which is ideal and I have never, ever fallen above or below the ideal range.



I have NEVER smoked even 1 cigarette in my life, and I avoid secondhand smoke as well.



I have NEVER done drugs, not a single one which was not prescribed for me for illness.



I am primarily vegetarian, with the exception of occasional poultry, which is almost always free range poultry from Trader Joe's, or Halal (Islamic).



I eat mostly raw foods, like natural veggies and fruits. I avoid processed foods. My parents are vegetarians and since I was in my mothers womb I was a vegetarian because she was!



Well I do have my fair share of stress, but nothing out of the ordinary until my cancer diagnosis!



I exercise 3-5 times per week and I have always been a very active on the go type of person.



I have lived in a nice suburb neighborhood my entire life and we have lots of trees and forests around. I am probably on the lower scale of air pollution as compared to someone who lives in a big city with smog, etc. Air pollution affects us all but I would say I am on the lower end of it.



Oh boy, I use cell phones and microwaves!



I avoid trans/sat fats which you don't find much anyways when you eat a wholesome and natural diet most of the time!



I eat organic fruits and veggies. We have shopped at a farmers market in the area my entire life and they grow fresh with no pesticides.



ON TOP OF IT:



The major risks for cervical cancer are:

Age

Sexual history

HPV

DES

Diet

Oral Contraceptives



The ONLY risk for CC I had was taking Oral Contraceptives for many years. However this is only considered a risk when the woman is also infected with HPV, which I was not. I did not have any of the risk factors associated with it, NONE of them. My doctors were pretty baffled that I tested negative for high risk HPV for the past 8 years on paps and again in the biopsied tissues, showing as HPV negative which is the main risk factor.



SO you tell me, why did I get cancer???



I was the epitomy of perfect health, I am young, I am strong, I went for my yearly check ups...so why me?



I understand that you think there must be a reason for the cancer, but while there are obvious things that we shouldn't do like smoke or let ourselves become morbidly obese, there are many, many people just like me who didn't do a thing to provoke the cancer and it still happened. Sometimes I think it's just your fate. My grandma died just before turning 40 from cancer, it might be in my genes, just my fate that this was going to happen to me.



as far as the cure issue....well there is not any one "cure" for cancer but there are definitely individual "cures." I am now in remission and after 3 years my doc says I will be considered cured. Many cancers can be cured, or NED (no evidence of disease) which is almost like being cured but theres still evidence it could come back down the road, or remission (no cancer but hoping it won't come back either).



Pray for me, in 2 1/2 more years I will be "cured" god willing...and medicine is making miracles happen every day. Unfortunately each cancer, person and the way each cancer affects each person differs so much that there will never be a magic cancer curing pill or something like that. But people ARE cured every day.



Oh and your comment about genetics...there was less chance of doctors having the ability to find out cancer was the reason for many deaths but it was the reason for many deaths, very likely. Cancer cannot be explained and I agree that there are more people putting themselves in harms way for cancer than in the past but it's not the MAIN reason. Cancer happens.

Answer 7

Not true. Cancer cells have been scientifically proven to be hereditary. Yes, smoking increases risk of lung, lip, and certain cancers, but there are many forms of cancer, so ongoing research is crucial. Cetain types of cancers can rump rampid in families of otherwise healthy, non drug/tobacco users. Yes, if doctors can get a better idea of exactly "what makes cancer tick", they may be able to better prevent it in the future.

Answer 8

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