Download Cancer: a genetic disease

Josejavier alejos
9th “A”
The environment, the main cause
of cancer
 most of the genetic mutations that produce cancer are
not inherited. Instead, they are caused by our
environments. The good news is that this means most
cancers are preventable.
 The roles of smoking and radiation are the most
common causes of cancer. The radiation is mostly
cause by the reduction of the ozone in earth´s
atmosphere ,that allows more UV (ultra violet)
radiation to reach earth´s surface.
Types of cancer can be hereditable
 It is now believed that cancer is caused by genetic mutation most
often, by a series of mutations, some of may be inherited. To test
this hypothesis, researchers have put a variety of oncogenes into
mice, using promoters to direct the genes to specific tissues. In
this way, HHMI investigator Philip Leder and his co-workers at
Harvard created and patented "onco-mice“ animals that reliably
develop breast and lymph cancers. Onco-mice are being used
worldwide to test drugs and therapies against those two forms of
cancer. (www.hhmi.org/gentictrial/g110.html
 Some people are more likely to develop certain cancers ,because
they have inherted mutations in cancer – related genes. Such as
the example of the chapter24 of the women with BRCA (breast
cancer).
How many mutant genes are
required to produce cancer?
 A mutation in a single gene is not enough to produce
cancer. Mutations in many important genes are
required.
Why does cancer tends to strike
older people?
 Because mutations have had more time to build up in
thier cells.