[ RadSafe ] What does it mean to say that something causes 16% of cancers?

[Clayton J Bradt]

Cary Renquist wrote:

       "Cancer is more like poverty (caused by a number of events
      throughout one's life, some inherited and some not) rather than
      malaria
      (caused by a very specific infection delivered via mosquito)."

Except that sometimes cancer is like malaria:

Certain strains of human papilloma virus cause cervical cancer.  Specific
virus genes have been identified which are found to be spliced into the
tumor cells DNA causing them to proliferate while evading immune defense
mechanisms.

Other cancers have also been found to be caused by viruses.

Clayton J. Bradt
Principal Radiophysicist
NYS Dept. of Health
Biggs Laboratory, Room D486A
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12201-0509

518-474-1993

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit
of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher
consideration."  -- A. Lincoln