While most accept that cancer is a disease rooted in genetic change, there is little consensus among the scientific community regarding the contributions of extrinsic factors and sheer bad luck. Many contend that cancer is solely attributable to bad luck, but if cancer is a game of probability – a gamble – then there are ways to tip the odds. In particular, risk-heightening behaviors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and consuming a diet rich in red meat significantly increase the chances of developing cancer.
Tobacco contains more than 50 carcinogens and is often touted as the leading cause of cancer (NCI 2015) because its use heightens the risk of 14 cancer subtypes. Moreover, it is responsible for 25-30% of cancer-related deaths and 87% of lung cancer-related deaths (Anand et al. 2008).. Smoking directly damages the cells lining the airway, which increases the rate of cell turnover and elevates the mutation rate. Tobacco is also pro-inflammatory (Anand et al. 2008). This further boosts tumorigenesis by …show more content…
Notably, cooking meat produces carcinogens that are then ingested. This leads to an elevated risk of prostate, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers. Many food additives such as nitrates and nitrites, which are used as preservatives, are strong carcinogens as well (Anand et al. 2008). Ingestion of these substances exposes the cells lining the GI tract to toxicants and, much like tobacco, increases the mutation rate by increasing the need for cell turnover.
While the intrinsic rate of cell division may account for some part of the total risk, cancer is not simply a result of bad luck. It is a multifactorial disease process that arises from complex interactions. Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and poor dietary habits play significant roles in the development of the disease by producing conditions that promote DNA damage and tumor
Tobacco contains more than 50 carcinogens and is often touted as the leading cause of cancer (NCI 2015) because its use heightens the risk of 14 cancer subtypes. Moreover, it is responsible for 25-30% of cancer-related deaths and 87% of lung cancer-related deaths (Anand et al. 2008).. Smoking directly damages the cells lining the airway, which increases the rate of cell turnover and elevates the mutation rate. Tobacco is also pro-inflammatory (Anand et al. 2008). This further boosts tumorigenesis by …show more content…
Notably, cooking meat produces carcinogens that are then ingested. This leads to an elevated risk of prostate, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers. Many food additives such as nitrates and nitrites, which are used as preservatives, are strong carcinogens as well (Anand et al. 2008). Ingestion of these substances exposes the cells lining the GI tract to toxicants and, much like tobacco, increases the mutation rate by increasing the need for cell turnover.
While the intrinsic rate of cell division may account for some part of the total risk, cancer is not simply a result of bad luck. It is a multifactorial disease process that arises from complex interactions. Factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and poor dietary habits play significant roles in the development of the disease by producing conditions that promote DNA damage and tumor