Causes, Overview
This section reviews how epidemiologists look for cancer "hot spots" - regions with high cancer rates.
Despite the attention given to inherited cancer genes in the press, less than 10% of all cancers are inherited. Many other people would like to blame cancer on synthetic chemicals - but pollution, food additives, and industrial wastes account for less than 5% of cancers in the U.S. So what is really behind cancer? A world map can give surprising clues about cancer causes, as well as prevention. Although cancer affects people of all nationalities, epidemiologists look for cancer "hot spots" - regions with high cancer rates. Then they attempt to find environmental, dietary, cultural, or lifestyle factors that are common to the regions where cancers are most frequent. (Link to world map with prevalence of lung, liver, stomach, skin, breast, cervix, and colon/rectum cancers.)
spots regions, cancer genes, food additives, cancer rates, synthetic chemicals, lifestyle factors, world map, industrial wastes, nationalities, cancers, hot spots, pollution
- ID: 953
- Source: DNALC.IC
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