fixaging

Cancer and aging are inextricably linked together. After the age of 25 the risk of getting cancer doubles for every 5 years of life. 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in people 55 years and older. Some cancers, such as Wilms’ tumour, retinoblastoma, and neuroblastoma do occur almost exclusively in children. So the number one factor in cancer is age. Here is a brief run down of the other factors as well as the varieties of cancer.

Other factors involved in cancer:

• Environmental - There are numerous environmental factors which can increase the risk of getting cancer. Certain pollution such as industrial waster or cigarette smoke and increase the risk. Also some chemicals such as asbestos may cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. There can be a significant time lag between the exposure of the chemical and the cancer appearing. Another risk factor to cancer is the exposure to radiation, this includes radiation exposure from the sun in the form of ultraviolet radiation.
• Diet - diet can effect the risk of cancer. For example a diet which is high in fat has been linked to increased risk of breast and colon cancer. While people who drink excessive quantities of alcohol are much more likely to get oesophageal cancer.
• Viral infections - several viruses can cause cancer, such as papillomavirus which causes cervical cancer in women, and hepatitis B virus which can cause liver cancer.
• Inflammatory diseases - disease such as ulcerative colitis may cause colon cancer.

There are three distinct varieties of cancer:

• Leukaemia’s and lymphomas - these are cancers of the blood and blood-forming tissue.
• Carcinomas - these are cancers of the epithelial cells ( the cells covering the surface of the body and making up glands and producing hormones).
• Sarcomas - are cancers of the mesodermal cells, which are cells forming muscles and connective tissue. These tend to form in younger rather than older people.

Tags: Cancer //