The increasing number of people getting cancer nowadays is alarming, according to Cancer Research, UK. Each year, more and more people worldwide are contracting cancer or succumbing to the diseases.

There are about 200 different types of cancer affecting all the different body tissues. What affects one body tissue may not affect another. Tobacco smoke that one breathes in may cause lung cancer and has no effect on your skin. Over exposing your skin to the sun could give you a melanoma, a type of skin cancer. However, over-exposure to sunlight won't give rise to lung cancer and smoking won't give rise to melanoma. Nevertheless, in the later stages of any type of cancer, when it spreads over the body, it affects other body tissues.

Cancer cause is multifactorial as in other illnesses, with the exception of infectious diseases. There are many factors involved and notably, there is no single cause for any one type of cancer. Some of the causes are:-

  • Carcinogens

    Tobacco smoke being one of these carcinogens that helps to cause lung cancer. Invariably, as researches tend to indicate, not all who smoke gets lung cancer; thus there may be other factors.

  • Age

    The longer one lives, the greater the chances of accumulating the "genetic mistakes" which are changes to the genes within a cell before it turns into a cancer cell.

  • Genetic Mutations

    A number of genetic mutations within a cell must occur before it becomes cancerous. At times, such mutations already occur at birth but it does not mean one would get cancer. However, it more likely statistically that it will which is called "genetic predisposition". Clear examples of "genetic predisposition" are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes. Women who carry one of these faulty genes have a higher chance of developing breast cancer than women who do not. On the contrary, the BRCA genes are good examples for another reason. Most women with breast cancer do not have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene which contribute less than 5% of all breast cancers. In essence, although women with one of these genes are individually more likely to get breast cancer, most breast cancer is not caused by a high risk inherited gene fault.

  • Immune System

    Immune system suppressing drugs used in organ transplants, born with rare medical syndrome immune system and immunodeficiency conditions are more likely to affect their immune system; thus the higher likelihood to get some forms of cancer. Chronic infections or transplanted organs can continually stimulate cells to divide to acquire mutations and develop into lymphomas.

  • Diets

    Scientist believe that one out of three cancer deaths can be prevented by a change in diets. Being obese, alcohol-addicted, processed foods, certain food additives, contaminants such as nitrosamines and a host of others contribute significantly to cancer.

  • Environment

    The day-to day environment such as exposure to tobacco smoke, excessive sunlight, natural or man-made radiation and workplace hazards play a part as well.

  • Viruses

    Virus can cause genetic changes in cells makes them more likely to become cancerous. Unsafe sex causes the human papillioma virus (HPV) to cause cervical, vulvar and vagina cancer.

Scientist are still in the midst and continuing to research into the deeper unknown medical world mystery of various causes of cancers which is so diverse that there is hardly any pin-pointing by any exact revelation on the causes of cancer. The mystery of discovery may be a long journey into the end of time, into the world of God who has made such a complex path for discovery; one which takes a lot of resources and money.

Alternatively, live happily, eat healthily and be stress-less to deny cancer the chance to manifest and propagate. Happy reading.

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