Cancer. I seem to remember hearing once that the human body would get cancer if it aged enough.?

Question

like cancer was a natural occurance, but at an age that humans don't live up to. was this correct? any sources, for or against?

i understand the modern atmosphere and additives certainly help increase the cancer levels, but we also live much longer and have that much longer to be in contact with possible carcinogens.

Answer 1

Cancer happens when :

1- There's a mistake while replicating DNA

2- That mistake is not corrected

3- The affected cell won't die

There is research saying that mistakes in DNA replication happen all the time (I dont remember the occurance; anyway that varies with the paper), no matter what you do, since we breathe oxygen, which is highly reactive, and we are exposed to natural residual radioactivity (from many sources, C14, sun, radioactive minerals, ect).

Some mistakes are repaired, others tolerated, some will kill the cell, others will "transform" it into a cancer cell. If you have a good immune system, that cancer cell has a high chance of being destroyed. But if this cell is "missed", then it will reproduce, and voila, you have cancer.

There's the problem: with age, you accumulate more damage, no matter how you live (ok, you will have even more damage if you're exposed to some harmful stuff, ex. cigarette, bad nutrition, ect.), and the immune system, for some reason that is not completely understood, does decay with age. That decay is natural, and we have always observed it, in all animals, everywhere in the world. So all the more chance to miss a cancer cell.

So yes, I am convinced that at a certain age (depending on the quality of genetics...:), most of the population would end up developping a cancer. Think of it as the next great barrier for life expectancy, after infection, which we have more or less tackled with antibiotics, vaccines and hygiene.

*note: before the discovery of germs, and the apparition of antibiotics and vaccines, infections were the main overall cause of death for humans, and life expectancy ran around 50-60 years old. Infection, mainly from malaria, is still an important cause of death in third world countries...

Answer 2

That is more or less correct. A specific cancer is caused by a specific set of genetic mutations.

Consider the risks and statistical probability.
1) Every cell in the human body can become cancerous.
2) We are constantly exposured to carcinogens. You can lower your exposure but, never eliminate it.
3) A cell has self-repair and self-destruct programs that work most of the time.
4) The immune system provides defense most of the time. These defenses are less effective as you age.

Eventual, the right combination of factors will occur given enough time. That's why cancer is overwhelmingly a disease of the elderly (60+ years).

An analogy would be is the chance of winning a lottery is minute but, if you live forever and play the lottery every single day, you will statistically win at least one.

Answer 3

Yeah, I work in cancer research. There is an estimate that 1/3 people will get cancer as they age. Only 20% die from cancer. It is generally an old persons disease but of course can happen at any point. My boss believes that most of the population over 75 has cancer cells that maybe just havent become "clinical" and the older you get, the slower your cells divide too. That said, accumulation over time of agents and physical conditions, yes...probably everyone if they lived long enough would have some sort of cancer. There is no magic number of years though.

Answer 4

It is correct. But I will explain technically so that you may understand further. Everybody gets cancer. Even babies, and teenagers, young adults, and old folks. But, at a young age, your body is strong enough to take care of the cancers on its own, or your body is strong enough to ward off the cancer. So, at a young age, you take care of your own cancer, and your body even keeps you from getting cancer. But as you get older, your body isnt as strong as it used to be at a young age. So, this is when the cancers can take over your body. But, during that time, you might be too weak to take care of the cancer on its own. And thats where the cancer treatments come in. There is definite proof that older people get more cancers and more frequently then younger people. and younger peoples' cancers metastasizes less then older people. It has to deal with the fact that the longer you have the cancer(s), the more time it has to move to other parts of the body.

Answer 5

I think cancer is more likely caused by the artificial toxins, chemicals, dyes and preservative in our food supply. Commercial milk and meat are certainly suspect. Pesticides, etc. too scary whats really in food these days. Its a wonder any of us are still standing