Random DNA Cause of Many Cancers

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While diet, environment, habits and more are some of the reasons certain people develop cancer, chance plays a pretty big role as well. New research shows that most tumors develop simply because of a genetic “mistake,” also called DNA copying errors.
Johns Hopkins University investigators looked at abnormal cell growth in 32 different types of cancers and found that many cancer cases are the result of gene mutations that are purely random. These random mutations have generally been scientifically undervalued, according to study co-author Cristian Tomasetti in a MedlinePlus article.
It is important to note that while many cancer cases are random, and therefore unpreventable, many mutations are also caused by certain outside factors, and don’t just occur randomly. A good example is lung cancer–the majority of these mutations occur because a person has smoked.
Overall, the study could help shed light on cancer cases that doctors can’t determine the cause. They may seem random because they are.
To read more about the study, please visit “Most Cancers Caused by Random DNA Copying Errors.”
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Source: Network News - March 30, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: NN/LM South Central Region Tags: General (all entries) Research Source Type: news