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

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

More and more I am coming to think "cancer" is like "fever", in that it
describes a symptom, rather than a disease.  I think we are moving past
being limited to treating the symptom to understanding the various
things that can cause it.  

A great irony is that the population has been taught to fear radiation
as the cause of cancer, when it is actually an absolutely necessary to
in understanding and treating cancers. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Clayton J
Bradt
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 11:10 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Cc: Cary.renquist at ezag.com
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] What does it mean to say that something causes
16%of cancers?


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
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