What Causes Cancer

The most common and innocent question my patient asks me is “what causes cancer disease”.

In cancer care, I usually say, “It’s complicated, I wish I could explain”.

In reality, there are numerous causes of cancer and the answer that’ WHAT’ depends upon the type of cancer we are talking about.

But in general, cancer specialist doctors can say that one of the most common causes of it is pollution. The pollution levels, specially in rapidly industrializing countries with a huge population, like ours, have grown to alarmingly high levels. Delhi was in news for such alarming high-level air pollution.

The air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink are all polluted with the chemicals and radiations.

Technically speaking, cancer is caused by changes to certain genes that alter the way our cell performs. Sometimes these changes occur naturally when DNA replicates but many times these are the results of environmental exposure that alter our very basic of existence ‘our DNA’.

This environmental exposure may include chemicals and radiations in our environment, which were induced in our environment by ourselves only and this is what we call pollution.

This pollution not only alters our DNA’ but it also alters the body’s immune response or inflammation that triggers angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that allows cancer disease to spread.

It can also affect gut microbata and influence the development of cancer disease.

Genetic causes are nonmodifiable but manmade causes of cancer i.e. pollution can be controlled so to prevent mankind from mutating. We should be aware and alert and become responsible for our environment.

Let’s say NO To pollution and Join hands to fight against cancer that trigger angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels that allows cancer disease to spread.

It can also affect gut microbata and influence the development of cancer.

Genetic causes are nonmodifiable but the manmade causes of cancer i.e. pollution can be controlled so as to prevent mankind from mutating. We should be aware and alert and become responsible for our environment.

Let’s say NO To pollution and Join hands to fight against cancer disease.