CANCER

[ghoti]

As already mentioned the genetic make up is certainly the determining factor, and some cancers are also known to be caused by viruses. There is yet even more that is completely unknown to man. However other factors like smoking certainly increase the likelihood of developing cancer. It is not just smoking, but pretty much everything burning or burnt (like blackened food - e.g. your BBQs!) that is extremely harmful. So feel free to use e-fag things if you are that addicted; at least you are not putting anyone else at increased risk.

There are some known carcinogens in burnt food but smoking still carries significantly higher relative risk than eating burnt food.
The risk of cancer from regularly eating burned food is real but tiny. For smoking it's about 25% for lung cancer alone.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

There are some known carcinogens in burnt food but smoking still carries significantly higher relative risk than eating burnt food.
The risk of cancer from regularly eating burned food is real but tiny. For smoking it's about 25% for lung cancer alone.

I really wouldn't put my money on this claim. As much as I hate smoking, burnt (black) food contains a very similar set of chemicals except for nicotine (it causes some rather different effects and problems but not cancer as far as I know). Soot rich exhaust fumes and coal station emissions are also fairly similar. I am not saying that smoking is not as bad as claimed (probably worse actually), but I just list a few other sources of equally harmful chemicals. Probably living in London is more harmful than eating badly burnt BBQ food twice a year... This is all relative.

edit: the main difference would be lung vs intestinal / liver cancers... not much else.

Also - fungus in food may produce carcinogens, and you may not be even aware of it until you see the fruiting body at a later stage. See, EVERYTHING tries to kill you with varying degree of success.

 

[SFTPhotography]

I've said this before. We actually know how to prevent 20% of all cancer and 25% of cancer deaths.

Stop smoking. It really is that simple.

I'd love something to do done about smoking. Something draconian like outlawing it. However, the tax revenue it brings in is collosal, probably covers the cost of the health issues it creates, and some. If we were a less greedy species, we'd say the greater good and we'd make cigarettes etc a very hard thing to procure.

I do believe, no facts here, that others are more vulnerable to cancer than others, but smoking increases your odds of getting it no end.

 

[Mr Bump]

I think people are getting a bit black/white on the subject, of course you can get cancer just sitting in a room living a quiet life not doing anything naught.. But the real answer is that apart from the OPs origanal post is if we lead better healthier lives we can expect to reduce our risks significantly.

 

[JonathanRyan]

I think people are getting a bit black/white on the subject, of course you can get cancer just sitting in a room living a quiet life not doing anything naught.. But the real answer is that apart from the OPs origanal post is if we lead better healthier lives we can expect to reduce our risks significantly.

There's a very good summary here - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/overview/patient/page3 (though it's all American)

Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Risk factors that a person can control are called modifiable risk factors.

If you have a genetic predisposition to a certain cancer then there's possibly nothing you can do. However, everybody seems to agree that genes PLUS unnecessary risk factors put you at more risk then genes WITHOUT unnecessary risk factors. Also, some risk factors (e.g. smoking) are actually so bad for you that they can prevent you getting cancer - you die before you get it.

 

[ghoti]

I think people are getting a bit black/white on the subject, of course you can get cancer just sitting in a room living a quiet life not doing anything naught.. But the real answer is that apart from the OPs origanal post is if we lead better healthier lives we can expect to reduce our risks significantly.

I can't find where anyone said otherwise.