Why is cancer so much more common in some areas (lung, breast) and not in others (like fingers)?

Answer 1

Cancer occurs when cells that are already growing get out of control. They just keep growing. It's more common in tissues with a high growth rate, because those tissues are already growing pretty damn fast.

The higher the "turnover" the more likely it is that cancer will occur.

Answer 2

Great question. "Distorted" is partially correct, but not completely so as there are plenty of places that have high turnover of cells, but low cancer rates (small intestine for example).

I am not sure that anyone knows the answer to this question. If you look at the most common cancers, there is not necessarily a common pattern. Lung cancer is almost exclusively related to tobacco exposure, as are most oral and head and neck cancers. Breast cancer is related to gender and hormones, and genetics, but obviously this is not a complete answer. Most women that get breast cancer do not have one of the genetic syndromes that increase risk.

Prostate cancer is related to age and gender. Colon cancer is probably due to environmental exposures as well as genetics, but again the complete picture is not known.

You actually can get cancer in or on you fingers. Skin cancer, basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma, can arise on the skin of your hands.

The bottom-line is there are clearly areas that are more vulnerable for development of cancer, but the reason cancer develops from place to place is different and not completely understood. Each cancer has different behaviors too, and within each type of cancer there are a wide range of outcomes. For example, pancreatic cancer is almost uniformly fatal. Whereas breast cancer can often times be successfully treated, but there are some women who survive to live long lives and other who succumb rapidly.

Answer 3

because there is nothing in your fingers that could get cancer. i suppose you could get a cancer in your fingers if it spread to your bones, but you'd die before it got to your fingers.

Answer 4

I think its because thats were you breath if you know what i mean