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There are a great many problems associated with attributing cause to diseases. Cancer is considered the “jewel in the crown” of medical cures. S/he who can cure cancer will undoubtedly win the Nobel Prize and be as famous as Jenner and Pasteur. However, it is seriously problematic from the point of view of cause.

At a recent guest lecture to HKU, the Chairman of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, the oldest and wealthiest in the UK, the director, Sir Walter Bodmer, showed a slide indicating the only around 10% of cancers were due to heritable factors, which he considered at great length. He failed to discuss the other 90% of the most common diseases called cancer. With the exceptions of very rare cancers, such as retinoblastoma, most cancers arise only in the presence of certain environmental factors which have impacted over a lifetime. The longer a person lives and their environment determines their exposure. Their body’s ability to detoxify their environment is partly genotypically determined, but also depends on factors life income (poor can’t afford adequate nutrition, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, clean air), diet, and behaviour (toxin load, from smoking, alcohol use etc.)

“True” genetic cancers are very rare for a very good reason. They are selected against.

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