Knowing that cancer is caused by mutations that regulate cell division, why does the incidence of cancer?

Question

increase with age?

Answer 1

part of the problem seems to be with the telemeres, the bits on the end of the chromosomes. these decrease with age. Stem cells don't lose their telemeres, but all other cells do.

Part of the problem seems to be down to radicals in cells.

Part of the problem seems to be in damage to dna which cannot be repaired by the normal cell systems. Usually when a cell's dna is damaged beyond repair, the cell's mitochondria start cell death. However, cancer cells change their metabolism, stop using the krebs cycle, and instead use another cycle, (the name escapes me at the moment, but if I remember I will update this). This other cycle, inhibits the mitochondria and causes these to die within the cells. As cancer cells don't rely on ATP, they increase and divide. Age tends to increase the number of cells that get damaged and allow this to occur.

Answer 2

ummm..... good question dudette ....with increasing age increased duration of exposure to harmful stuff goes up ..... with increasing age the body's tumor suppressor genes work less and less