Cancer is a disease of the body's cells.

Normally cells grow and multiply in a

controlled way, however, if something causes a mistake to occur in the cells'
genetic blueprints, this control can be lost. Cancer is the term used to describe
collections of these cells, growing and potentially spreading within the body. As
cancerous cells can arise from almost any type of tissue cell, cancer actually
refers to about 100 different diseases.
Cancer cells that do not spread beyond the immediate area in which they arise
are said to be benign ie. they are not dangerous. If these cells spread into
surrounding areas, or to different parts of the body, they are known as malignant -
commonly referred to as cancer.
REASONS FOR CANCER

What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is a complex group of diseases with many possible causes. There are
about 200 different types of cancer. It can start in any type of body tissue. What
affects one body tissue may not affect another. For example, tobacco smoke that
you breathe in may help to cause lung cancer. Overexposing your skin to the sun
could cause a melanoma on your leg. But the sun won't give you lung cancer and
smoking won't give you melanoma.Apart from infectious diseases, most illnesses
(including cancer) are multifactorial. This means that there are many factors
involved. In other words, there is no single cause for any one type of cancer
including genetic factors; lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet, and physical
activity; certain types of infections; and environmental exposures to different
types of chemicals and radiation.
1.Genetics
Some types of cancer run in certain families, but most cancers are not clearly
linked to the genes we inherit from our parents. Gene changes that start in a
single cell over the course of a person's life cause most cancers.

• Family Cancer Syndromes : 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. But only a
small portion of all cancers are inherited.

• Genes and Cancer : Advances in genetics and molecular biology have

improved our knowledge of the inner workings of cells, the basic building blocks
of the body. Here Cells can change during a person’s life to become cancer,
certain types of changes can build on inherited gene changes to speed up the
development of cancer.

2.Life Style
Some types of cancer affects by lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet, and
physical activity.Some types of cancer run in certain families, but most cancers
are not clearly linked to the genes we inherit from our parents. Gene changes
that start in a single cell over the course of a person's life cause most cancers.

• Cigarette Smoking : Smoking increases the risk of cancers including cancers

of the larynx (voice box), oesophagus (gullet), mouth and pharynx (throat),
bladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, stomach, bowel, cervix, ovary, nose and sinuses
and some types of leukaemia. There is also some evidence that smoking could
increase the risk of breast cancer.Smoking accounts for more than 1 in 4 UK
cancer deaths, and nearly a fifth of all cancer cases according to Cancer
Research UK.Tobacco was responsible for more than 100 million deaths
worldwide in the 20th Century. The World Health Organisation has estimated that,
if current trends continue, tobacco could cause a billion deaths in the 21st
Century.

• Cigar Smoking : Cigar smoke, like cigarette smoke, contains toxic and cancer-
causing chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers.Cigar
smoking causes oral cavity cancers (cancers of the lip, tongue, mouth, and
throat) and cancers of the larynx (voice box), esophagus, and lung.

• Secondhand Smoke : People who breathe in secondhand smoke take in

nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. Learn more about
secondhand smoke, why it is a problem, and what can be done about it.Second-
hand smoke can cause other health problems too, including heart disease, stroke
and breathing problems. It’s estimated that, every year, second-hand smoke kills
over 12,000 people in the UK from lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and the
lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as per Cancer
Research UK.

• Body Weight and Cancer Risk : Being overweight or obese can have far-
reaching health consequences, including raising your risk for certain types of
cancer.Extra fat in the body can have harmful effects, like producing hormones
and growth factors that affect the way our cells work. This can raise the risk of
several diseases, including cancer. According to Cancer Research UK It's thought
that more than 1 in 20 cancers in the UK are linked to being overweight or
obese.

• Alcohol and Cancer : Most people know that heavy alcohol use can cause
health problems. But many people may not be aware that alcohol use can
increase their cancer risk. Drinking alcohol regularly can increase the risk of at
least 7 different cancers. It is likely that different cancers are caused in different
ways. Cancers linked to alcohol include Mouth cancer,Pharyngeal cancer (upper
throat),Oesophageal cancer (food pipe),Laryngeal,cancer (voice box),Breast
cancer,Bowelcancer,Liver cancer.Not everyone who drinks alcohol will develop
cancer. But on the whole, scientists have found that some cancers are more
common in people who drink more alcohol than others. Every year, alcohol
causes 4% of cancers in the UK, around 12,800 cases.
3. Environment and Cancer
Environmental exposures to different types of chemicals and radiations is one of
the main reasons for Cancer.

• Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation : Ultraviolet (UV) radiation comes from the sun and
man-made sources like tanning beds can cause cancer.Too much UV radiation
from the sun or sunbeds can damage the genetic material (the DNA) in your skin
cells. If the DNA builds up enough damage over time, it can cause cells to start
growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.

• X-rays, Gamma Rays, and Cancer Risk :When talking about radiation and
cancer risk, it is often x-rays and gamma rays that people think about.Ionising
radiation is a type of radiation called ‘high energy’. The high energy that ionising
radiation has means it can affect our cells, including mutating DNA which can
lead to cancer.There are different types of ionising radiation, including gamma
rays and x-rays. These types of ionising radiation can cause cancer.

• Radon :Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. Long-term exposure to

radon can lead to lung cancer.

• Second Cancers Caused by Cancer Treatment : Some cancer treatments

such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy may increase a person's risk of
developing a different type of cancer later in life.

• Microwaves, Radio Waves, and Other Types of Radiofrequency

Radiation:Radiofrequency (RF) radiation, such as microwaves and radio waves,
is at the low-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum and is a type of non-
ionizing radiation which can cause cancer.
What Causes Cancer?
The Impact of Risk Factors
DNA Damage continued...

The initial DNA cellular changes are just the beginning of the process by which
cancer develops.

Scientists believe you need a number of different changes to occur within your cells
in order to develop cancer, including:

 An initiator: to cause a genetic mutation or epigenetic changes .

This can be inside your body (an inherited genetic mutation) or outside of
your body, such as ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or carcinogens in your
environment.

 A promoter: to cause rapid cell growth.

Promoters take advantage of genetic mutations and cause cells to grow

rapidly. This could lead to a tumor. Like initiators, promoters may come from
inside your body or from outside your body.

 A progressor: to cause cancer to become aggressive and spread.

Without a progressor a tumor may remain benign and localized. Progressors

make tumors more aggressive and more likely to spread. Like initiators and
promoters, progressors can be inherited or they can come from
environmental sources.