The Causes of Cancer

The cause of cancer most simply stated is DNA. Unfortunately, however, this is much too vague to constitute a true understanding of the mechanics of cancer. While DNA is at the heart of this category of diseases, more often than not, it is a problem that develops later in life and is not hereditary.

A person cannot with 100% certainty inherit breast cancer from his/her mother. Instead, a person can inherit a predisposition. However, people who have no history of a particular cancer in their family can still develop cancer.

This section will go into the basics of what is known about cancer. However, there is still much that is not known about cancer today, and it is for the next generation of scientists to continue the research that has already begun today.

Please use the following list to help guide you through this section:

• DNA - An introduction to the information of life
• CYCLE - A description of the cell cycle and normal cell function
• IMBALANCE - What is different about a cancerous cell
• PREDISPOSITION - Heredity & Cancer
• CARCINOGENS - Things that can induce cancer in a person
• MISTAKES - Other ways cancer can occur

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