Causes of Cancer

Causes of Cancer

Cancer is caused by chromosome defects and specific gene mutations that lead to uncontrolled growth of certain cell types. In most cancers the specific genetic defect is not known. There are many factors that cause these changes, such as hormones, viruses, inflammation, sunlight, chemicals, and radiation, in addition to as yet unidentified carcinogenic agents.

Cancer Causes: Risk Factors

The following conditions have been cited in various sources as potentially causal risk factors related to Cancer:

• Risks depend on the specific type of cancer but some are common
• Tobacco
• Smoking
• Cigar smoking
• Pipe smoking
• Chewing tobacco
• more risk factors »

Cancer Causes: Male-Female Gender Ratio

Gender of Patients for Cancer: Equally males and females....more »

Cancer: Related Medical Conditions

To research the causes of Cancer, consider researching the causes of these these diseases that may be similar, or associated with Cancer:

• Malignant melanoma
• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Weight loss
• Cancer cachexia
• Bowel cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Metastases
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation

Cancer: Causes and Types

Causes of Types of Cancer: Review the cause informationfor the various types of Cancer:

• Cancer type by severity:
  • Benign tumor - non-cancerous tumors.
  • Malignant tumor - cancerous tumors.
  • Metastatic cancer - spreading of cancer beyond its initial site to lymph nodes and/or other body areas.
• Cancer type by type of tumor:
• more types...»

Causes of Broader Categories of Cancer: Review the causal information about the various more general categories of medical conditions:

• All Disease Categories
• Chronic Illness
• Tumor
• Polygenic diseases
• Bizarre medical conditions
• more types...»

Cancer as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Cancer as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Cancer. Our database lists the following as having Cancer as a complication of that condition:

• Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
• Fanconi syndrome
• Granuloma inguinale
• Microcephaly immunodeficiency lymphoreticuloma
• Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis
• N syndrome
• Occupational Cancer -- Aerospace Industries
• Occupational Cancer -- Agricultural Chemical Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Aircraft Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Aluminum production
• Occupational Cancer -- Asbestos Cement Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Auramine manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Bar and Restaurant Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Battery Production Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Beryllium Extraction and Processing Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Biological Chemical Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Boot and Shoe Manufacture or Repair Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Bus and truck drivers
• Occupational Cancer -- Cadmium Smelter Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Cadmium-Copper Alloy Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Ceramic Production Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Chemical and Rubber Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Chemical Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Chromate Production Plant Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Chromium-Ferro alloy production
• Occupational Cancer -- Coal Gasification
• Occupational Cancer -- Coke Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Construction Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Cosmetics manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Dock workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Dry Cleaning Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Dye and Pigment Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Electrical Capacitor Manufacturing
• Occupational Cancer -- Electronic production
• Occupational Cancer -- Electroplating Processes
• Occupational Cancer -- Excavating Machine Operators
• Occupational Cancer -- Fabric Manufacture (heat resistance)
• Occupational Cancer -- Fibreglass-Reinforced Polyester Production Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Filling Station Attendants
• Occupational Cancer -- Furnace Insulators
• Occupational Cancer -- Furniture Restorers
• Occupational Cancer -- Glass Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Glass Production Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Hairdressers and barbers
• Occupational Cancer -- Hematite and Uranium Mining
• Occupational Cancer -- Herbicide Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Hospitals
• Occupational Cancer -- Insulation Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Iron and Steel Founding
• Occupational Cancer -- Isopropanol Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Jeweller
• Occupational Cancer -- Leather Manufacturing and Tanning
• Occupational Cancer -- Lithography
• Occupational Cancer -- Magenta Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Maintenance Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Mechanics
• Occupational Cancer -- Metal degreasing industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Metals industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Mineral Processing
• Occupational Cancer -- Mining and Milling
• Occupational Cancer -- Mining of arsenic containing ores
• Occupational Cancer -- Nickel Refining and Smelting
• Occupational Cancer -- Nonferrous Metal Smelting
• Occupational Cancer -- Nuclear Accident Clean-Up Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Outdoor workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Packaging Material Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Paint manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Paint Strippers
• Occupational Cancer -- Painters
• Occupational Cancer -- Paper manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Perfume Preparation
• Occupational Cancer -- Petroleum Refining Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Pharmaceutical Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Pharmaceutical Production Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Photography
• Occupational Cancer -- Plastics Industries
• Occupational Cancer -- Plastics Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Plating and Engraving Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Plutonium Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Polyester Resin Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Pottery manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Printing Processes
• Occupational Cancer -- Professional drivers
• Occupational Cancer -- Radiologists and technologists
• Occupational Cancer -- Railroad Workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Sheep Dip Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Sheet-metal workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Ship Builders
• Occupational Cancer -- Shipyard workers
• Occupational Cancer -- Stainless-steel Welding Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Steel and Lumber Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Styrene Glycol Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Sugar Production
• Occupational Cancer -- Surface Coating Manufacture
• Occupational Cancer -- Textile Manufacturing Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Transport Industry
• Occupational Cancer -- Underground Miners
• Occupational Cancer -- Water and Wastewater Treatment
• Occupational Cancer -- Wood Manufacturing
• Occupational Cancer -- Wood Preservation
• Occupational Cancer -- Wool Fibre Production
• Radiation sickness
• Smokers throat
• Visceral pain
• Vocal papilloma
• Werner syndrome

Cancer as a symptom:

Conditions listing Cancer as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Cancer. Our database lists the following as having Cancer as a symptom of that condition:

• Abnormalities, Radiation-Induced
• Chemical poisoning -- Radium
• Keratoacanthoma, familial
• Nasopharyngeal teratoma with Dandy-Walker -- diaphragmatic hernia
• Paraneoplastic Neurologic Disorders
• Pemphigus paraneoplastic
• Rombo syndrome
• Thrombocytopenia -- chromosome breakage

What causes Cancer?

Causes: Cancer: There are many possible causes of cancer. See also articles Cancer Theories, or Cancer Causes.
Cancer occurs when cell division gets out of control. Usually, the timing of cell division is under strict constraint, involving a network of signals that work together to say when a cell can divide, how often it should happen and how errors can be fixed. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)
Article excerpts about the causes of Cancer:

What You Need To Know About Cancer -- An Overview: NCI (Excerpt)

The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep the body healthy. Sometimes, however, cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed. These extra cells form a mass of tissue , called a growth or tumor . (Source: excerpt from What You Need To Know About Cancer -- An Overview: NCI)

What You Need To Know About Cancer -- An Overview: NCI (Excerpt)

Even though doctors can seldom explain why one person gets cancer and another does not, it is clear that cancer is not caused by an injury, such as a bump or bruise. And although being infected with certain viruses may increase the risk of some types of cancer, cancer is not contagious; no one can "catch" cancer from another person.

Cancer develops over time. It is a result of a complex mix of factors related to lifestyle, heredity, and environment. A number of factors that increase a person's chance of developing cancer have been identified. Many types of cancer are related to the use of tobacco, what people eat and drink, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, and, to a lesser extent, exposure to cancer-causing agents (carcinogens ) in the environment and the workplace. Some people are more sensitive than others to factors that can cause cancer. (Source: excerpt from What You Need To Know About Cancer -- An Overview: NCI)

Medical news summaries relating to Cancer:

The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Cancer:

• 17 substances added to America's list of carcinogens
• Adenocarcinoma incidence is increasing dramatically
• Air in churches exposes churchgoers to risk of lung cancer
• Alcohol promotes growth of blood vessels supplying tumor
• All about obesity
• All about pancreatic cancer
• American Cancer Society second vice president has produced a book explaining all aspects of cancer
• Asbestos exposure in families of workers
• Australian Medical Association wants health warnings placed on alcohol products
• Beuty and home products have been found to produce health harming chemicals
• BMI linked to increased risk of kidney cancer
• Brain cancer origin found
• Brain operation can be greatly influenced by the type of foods eaten
• Breast cancer drug Femara superior to Tamoxifen
• Breast cancer risk for survivors of Hodgkin's disease
• Cancer deaths take over deaths caused by heart disease
• Cancer development secrets discovered
• Cancer risk increased by high blood iron and cholesterol
• Cervical cancer risk roughly doubled with passive smoking
• Cervical cancer screening recommendations detailed
• Chemical signals involved in cancer causes found
• Chemical used in manufacture of some plastics may promote prostate cancer growth
• Childhood cancer decreases later quality of life
• Childhood cancer linked to exposure to chemical emission
• Chronic stress may increase cancer risks
• Colon cancer gene identified
• Colorectal cancer associated dietary risks
• Colorectal cancer risk reduced in women through calcium consumption
• Cow's milk may be the key to many of western society's health problems
• Dairy consumption linked to increased ovarian cancer risk
• Diabetes and sugar level linked to risk of cancer death
• Diabetes linked to smoking
• Doubts over the real cause of depression
• Eating for your health
• Enzyme found that stops spread of cancer
• Eosonophil presence directly linked to asthma
• Fries factor in breast cancer
• Fruit and vegetables stave off cancer
• Government advisors advise of possible link between prostate cancer and pesticides
• Grey hair research may assist in development of melanoma cure
• Hormone therapy associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer
• How much is really known about the safety of statins
• Imaging radiation risk and health
• Increase in cancer diagnosis
• Infertility associated with cancer
• Lack of sleep influences illnesses
• Late stage diagnosis of oral cancer demands screening
• Long term cancer survivors have lower risk of cancer recurrence
• Low dose radiation exposure increases risk of cancer
• Lung cancer may be an inheritable conditon
• Many cancers are preventable
• Miracle baby for cancer victim
• Moderate caffeine consumption is not harmful
• More to smoking than just cancer
• Naturally occurring gas causing 20,000 lung cancer deaths in Europe
• New Dietary Guidelines support numerous research results
• Non-alcoholic beer may inhibit cancer
• Obesity also risk for cancer
• Obesity leads to liver disease
• Occupational exposure to pesticides link to cancer
• Oral estrogen directly increases the risk of ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer link to processed meats
• Pancreatic cancer surgery less common in black men
• Passive smoking during childhood increases risk of adult lung cancer
• Personalities do not affect cancer risk
• Pesticides may cause lung cancer
• Pregnancy diet could increase the risk of cancer in offspring
• Promiscuity linked to prostate cancer
• Prostate cancer often caused by lack of exposure to natural sunlight
• Prostate cancer risk reduced in diabetics
• Prostate cancer risk reduced in patients with long term diabetes
• Researchers discover new gene variations that increase breast cancer risk
• Skin cancer rate increasing in Australia
• Smoking can seriously affect vocal cords
• Smoking increases the risk of development of hereditary pancreatic cancer
• Solarium tanning exposes people to greater skin cancer risk
• South African cancer risks being defined by research
• Soy, vitamin E and folate are essential for prevention of certain cancers
• Stomach cancer originates from bone marrow cells
• Stomach surgery may increase risk of laryngeal cancer
• Studies increasingly pointing to diet as a culprit for cancer
• Studies provide more information about relationship between diet and cancer
• Teenagers and cancer
• Virus cures cancer
• When is a breast lump cancer?
• Women too are at risk of lung cancer
• Zinc supplementation may prevent some cancers
• More news »

Cause statistics for Cancer:

The following are statistics from various sources about the causes of Cancer:

• Cancer was the underlying cause in 88.6% of cancer deaths in Australia 2002 (AIHW & AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Cancer was the underlying cause in 90.2% of female deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Cancer was the underlying cause in 88.0% of male deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Coronary heart disease was an underlying cause in 4.6% of female deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Coronary Heart Disease was an underlying cause in 7.5% of male deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Endocrine disease was an underlying cause in 13.6% of female deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Endocrine disease was an underlying cause in 17.7% of male deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Respiratory disease was an underlying cause in 12.4% of female deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Respiratory disease was an underlying cause in 15.7% of male deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Stroke was an underlying cause in 4.7% of female deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Stroke was an underlying cause in 8.2% of male deaths from cancer in Australia 1997-2002 (AIHW National Morbidity Database, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 1,227 deaths from cancer were caused directly by alcohol consumption in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 7,650 deaths from cancer was caused directly by smoking in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 6.5 per 100,000 population of deaths from cancer were caused directly by alcohol consumption in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 40.5 per 100,000 population died from cancer caused directly by smoking in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Cancer was the associated cause of death in 11.4% of cancer deaths in Australia 2002 (AIHW & AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Cancer was the associated cause of death in 4,826 cancer deaths in Australia 2002 (AIHW & AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Smoking accounts for an estimated 16.8% of new cases of cancer in men in Australia (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• Smoking accounts for an estimated 7.9% of new cases of cancer in women in Australia (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 10,807 new cases of cancer was caused directly by smoking in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 14.3 per 100,000 population of new cases of cancer were caused directly by alcohol consumption in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 2,697 new cases of cancer were caused directly by alcohol consumption in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• 57.2 per 100,000 population of new cases of cancer was caused directly by smoking in Australia 2000 (AACR, 2003, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
• more statistics...»

Related information on causes of Cancer:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Cancer may be found in:

• Risk factors for Cancer
• Contagiousness for Cancer
• Genetics of Cancer
• Hidden causes of Cancer

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