Why Do So Many People Get Cancer?

Cancer is a disease that has been around since ancient times. But it seems that more and more people are getting it. Why is this?
Cancer starts with the uncontrolled growth of a single mutated cell. This cell has the unlimited potential to keep dividing and growing.

Scientists have identified over 200 different types of cancer.  Statistics show that cancer rates are on the rise. But generally, people are also living longer. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, about 1 in 2 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetimes . Some medical professionals have suggested modern lifestyles are to blame. To some extent, this is true. For example, smoking can cause cancer. So can air pollution caused by human activities, like driving and industrial processes. But the very fact that people are living longer means that our chances of developing cancer increases. This is because cancers often take a while to develop. In the past, people often died of something else before cancer had a chance to develop.

Why are people living longer? This is due to better standards of living and access to medicines, vaccines and health care. Because of advances in medicine and public health, people are a lot less likely to die from diseases that killed people in the past. Examples include typhoid, tuberculosis, and even influenza.  For example, in 1918-19, an influenza pandemic known as the Spanish flu killed approximately 50 million people worldwide. Today, things are very different.  We have the option of getting a flu shot. That flu shot is specifically designed to target the most common flu viruses for that season.

What Causes Cancer?

Just as there are a variety of different forms of cancer, there are a wide variety of causes. Cancer can be caused by our genes and can be inherited from our parents. Certain viruses can cause cancer. One example is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). It has been linked to cervical cancer and other forms of cancer.

Environmental conditions and lifestyle choices can also cause cancer. Toxins and pollutants that we knowingly or unknowingly come in contact with in our daily lives can trigger genetic mutations that lead to cancer.

The big picture of cancer is not all negative. There are lifestyle choices you can make today to reduce your cancer risk. Diagnostic techniques and treatment methods for cancer are constantly improving. The mapping and exploration of the human genome is changing the way doctors screen and assess the risk of getting certain cancers in the first place. For example, you can now be tested for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. These gene mutations can indicate that you are at a higher risk of breast cancer. Armed with this knowledge, someone who tests positive for these gene mutations can have a more intensive screening schedule. This is an example of a proactive measure people can take to prevent getting breast cancer in the first place.