Abnormal Cells Are the Problem
Cancer is the general term for about 100 diseases. Though there are many different types of cancers, one thing they have in common is that they are made of abnormal cells that grow out of control that cause illness of death. What makes a cancer cell different from normal cells? Cancer cells don’t die as they should in a normal cell’s cycle. They continue to grow and create new abnormal cancer cells, often forming tumors. Cancer cells can also invade nearby tissues and organs, growing into them. Normal cells can’t do this.
Genetics and Cancer
Inherited genes for cancers are mostly non-players in the blame game. Genetics or “family cancer syndrome” only accounts for about five or ten percent of cancer cases. This is often referred to as “inherited cancer” but cancer itself isn’t inherited, the gene is. Genetic defects are also known as “mutations.”
Overwhelmingly, most genetic defects are caused by mistakes in the replication of DNA, the blueprint of the cell, or the introduction of foreign substances from the environment, including lifestyle-connected habits, such as tobacco.
7 Things that Could Give You Cancer
So listed here are things that could give you cancer. Some of them are obvious, some not so apparent. See which ones apply to you, and if the spirit moves you, do something about it!
1. Tobacco products – Did you know that 87 percent of men’s and 70 percent of women’s tobacco deaths are caused by smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes? It is the leading cause of death for both women and men. In the U.S., 480,000 deaths in 2012 were related to tobacco use – more than alcohol, car crashes, suicides, AIDS, homicides and illegal drug deaths combined. There were 42 million adult smokers in that same year, which came out to about 18 percent of American adults. And it doesn’t stop at adults.
In 2012, 14 percent of high school students nationwide were smoking. This percentage doesn’t include the 13 percent that smoked the small, filtered cigars that the kids were discovered to be smoking like regular cigarettes. Not exactly as intended.
Want to know the kinds of cancers associated with tobacco use, sans the most obvious, lung cancer? The larynx; oral cavity, nose and sinuses; pharynx; esophagus; stomach; pancreas; cervical; kidney; bladder; ovary; colorectal; and leukemia. Up next is that infamous partner to cigarettes – alcohol.
2. Alcohol is the second leading cause of cancer, behind tobacco use. Did you know that in 1997, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared alcoholic beverages a known carcinogen? And a 2013 study found a strong link between alcohol deaths and cancers. You know what the kicker is? Drinking and smoking together could be a very bad combination.
Alcohol may act as a solvent that allows tobacco substances to be more easily absorbed through tissues. We all know that heavy drinking can lead to liver inflammation that then increases the risk of liver cancer. Excessive alcohol use also could cause heart failure, strokes, sudden death. And booze is thought to be one of the main causes of esophageal, colorectal, mouth, and breast cancers.
3. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. There are 3.5 million diagnosed cases of basal and squamous cell cancers in the U.S. annually. Most of these skin cancers are a direct result of UV exposure from sunlight.
Melanoma cancers have been noted to begin in places where sunburn left its mark of liver spots and freckles, places where the sunburn previously damaged skin. Sunlight, as a form of radiation, is 95 percent UVA rays and 5 percent UVB rays.
4. Diet anything could be a gateway to various cancers caused by the use of artificial ingredients and their manufacturing practices. For example, studies have shown that aspartame, an artificial sweetener, has been linked to birth defects and heart problems. One must keep in mind that all diet foods are chemically processed and comprise super-refined ingredients, artificial flavors and high sodium levels.
5. Lifestyle factors such as being overweight, having poor nutritional practices and physical inactivity all contribute to high levels of cancer. Cancers such as breast cancer in women past menopause, colorectal, esophagus, kidney, endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and the pancreas have been linked to lifestyle practices. And having too much girth, that belly fat around your middle, regardless of body weight, raises your risk of colorectal and breast cancers, especially for women who are post-menopausal.
6. Cooking red meats over high temperatures, as in grilling or pan frying, can drastically increase the chances of prostate cancer by as much as 40 percent. Even if you aren’t a guy, cooking beef, fish, pork or poultry over high temps can affect you as well. Grilling or pan frying form two chemicals found to be linked to cancer. Another 1999 large-scale study found well-done or grilled red meat was associated with a precursor to colorectal cancer.
7. Potato chips are one of the most popular snack foods in America. But as we sit on our backsides, cheering on our favorite team, all the fat and calories in those delicious chips are doing their best to ruin our day. Most chips today are high in trans fats, which cause elevated cholesterol levels in most people. Also, deep frying potato chips creates a cancer-causing agent -- the same cancer agent found in cigarettes. Hydrogenated oils used in frying is high in omega-6 oils, an excess of which could cause heart disease and varying kinds of cancer, especially skin cancer.
With a little bit of willpower and a whole lot of practice, avoiding cancer-causing agents will become easier over time. To minimize cancer risks, read articles such as this and keep yourself informed with the latest information.