I believe that cancer is the next step in evolution, it weeds out the weak. Those who are strong enough are able to fight it off before it even happens. Those that are weak die, it's all natural selection. Do you agree or disagree?
2007-01-18 07:53:23 · 9 answers · asked by alexjjones j 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
No. It is a mutation, but it does not benefit the organism. Also, seeing as the risk of getting cancer increases with age, it's not an effective "weeder." Most of the people affected would already have had a chance to reproduce.
2007-01-18 07:58:20 · answer #1 · answered by crabskulls 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think of it as the "next" step in evolution, because I'm certain that cancer's been around as long as many living organisms, or for as long as man has been around, at least.
Cancer's basically just a mutation of your cells. Think of it this way: your cells are constantly replicating themselves. In the course of this constant replication, some cells are erroneously replicated, and this error grows as the mutated cells replicate. This is what we term "cancer". But I'm sure that people were getting sick thousands of years ago, and no one knew why-we just have a term for it that makes it sound like an unnatural event. I bet if we all lived long enough, we'd all contract cancer. It's impossible to think of how many times our cells replicate without considering the possibility for error. It's the Law of Averages. By the way, certain animals don't get cancer-that's pretty impressive!
2007-01-18 16:04:43 · answer #2 · answered by jowarge 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My mother had inflammatory breast cancer and subsequently passed away from (stopped breathing) COPD from the cigarettes I assume. The inflammatory cancer is a tough cancer to diagnose since it mimics "bug bites" or "skin allergies". Anyway during the three years she lived from diagnosis to demise she showed GREAT strength. Anyone else would have been whining and wallowing in self pity. And to answer your question CANCER is not a mechanism to weed out weaklings and YOU have as great odds as anyone to come down with it (or heart attack the two leading killers). So get off your high horse moron.
2007-01-22 15:29:30 · answer #3 · answered by Cinnamon girl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cancer is a side effect of living. Most cancers occur after child bearing age, and, for most of human evolution, past the age most people lived to. We evolved to keep most cancers at bay until we reproduced, nothing more.
2007-01-18 17:22:09 · answer #4 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not. Those who are suffering and fighting cancer have a degree of strength and heart that most people could not fathom.
Statistically, you, or an immediate family member have a pretty good chance of getting cancer. If/when it happens I bet you will revise your pretentious theory a bit.
2007-01-18 16:00:49 · answer #5 · answered by goldengirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humans are not subject to natural evolution, because we control the natural environment. If we evolve in the future it will be thanks to genetic engineering, so we are the first living being that is able to guide is own evolution.
Cancer is due to an error en the cellular mechanism of growing and copying.
2007-01-18 16:03:14 · answer #6 · answered by Jano 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. many cancers are random, and don't attack the weak.
2. You don't "fight off" cancer.
2007-01-18 16:12:03 · answer #7 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't think it's a phase of evolution, more like nature's population control. people who get cancer aren't any weaker than anyone else.
2007-01-18 16:01:39 · answer #8 · answered by LoriBeth 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I disagree strongly. And I Believe that when you hear that diagnosis, and you will hear that diagnosis; we all do, whether about yourself or a loved one, you'll start to Believe too. Start now.
2007-01-20 17:17:39 · answer #9 · answered by kilrbabee 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋