General Cancer
COURSE
Understanding and Prevent Cancer
(38) General Cancer
Family Cancers
Because cancer is so prevalent, many individuals have some family history of it. These histories can vary quite a bit. One person may have only an uncle with prostate cancer, whereas another may have a brother withbone cancer, a sister with breast cancer, and a father with lymphoma.
(39) General Cancer
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Why do family cancer genes lead to cancer?
Individuals with a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer undergo testing of the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 to determine if they contain mutations known to predispose to cancer.
(40) General Cancer
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Connecting Cancer & the Environment
Cancer and the Environment
In 1981, Congress commissioned two of the most renowned cancer researchers of our time, Sir Richard Doll and Sir Richard Peto, to research the environmental causes of cancer. In their report, entitled “The Causes of Cancer: Quantitative Estimates of Avoidable Risks of Cancer in the United States Today,” Doll and Peto concluded that the contributions of diet and tobacco to the development of cancer were so large that if behaviors could be changed, many cancers could be avoided altogether.
(41) General Cancer
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Diet and Cancer
Diet can promote or inhibit the formation of cancer in many ways. Diet can promote cancer through:
(1) the presence of carcinogens in food (which can be natural constituents or man-made additives);
(42) General Cancer
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Nutrition During Cancer Treatment
Nutrition during cancer treatment
The healthy eating and living guidelines described above are intended for anyone. But people undergoing cancer treatments have special nutritional needs and challenges.
