Study links most cancers to bad luck

By Chioma Obinna

If you think bad luck is only connected to spiritual matters, then you need to think again.

Scientists have found a link between bad luck and state of health, in fact, they have discovered that most cancers are caused more often by bad luck than anything else.

Although as humans, we want to believe we control our own destinies, for instance, if we exercise for 30 minutes every day, eat healthy, avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, and meditate, it seems logical that we will live longer, be happier, and avoid diseases like cancer.

Unfortunately, this seems to be far from the truth because evidence shows that fate may be more chaotic than that.

A new study published in Science suggests that even though most cancers are unavoidable, but sometimes they are caused by bad luck.

According to the researchers, mutation, which drives cancer, is actually totally normal. In fact, it is the engine of evolution–if not for mutation, our genes wouldn’t make the random changes that once in a while end up giving us a new, important skill–like making enzymes that break down lactose, or resistance to disease. But often, those mutations get out of control. Cells divide and divide until they overpower the useful cells in our body and kill us. That is what cancer is.

According to Bert Vogelstein and Cristian Tomasetti at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Centre, many of these cancers are unavoidable. They are just part of nature.

Vogelstein said: “We all agree that 40 percent of cancers are preventable. The question is, what about the other cancers that aren’t known to be preventable?”

Vogelstein explained that each time a cell’s DNA is copied, mistakes are made. Most of these mistakes are harmless, and some of them can even be beneficial.

“But occasionally they occur in a cancer driver gene. That’s bad luck. Several of these bad-luck mistakes can add up to a cancerous cell,” Vogelstein added.

The study sets out to determine how often these mistakes are preventable–whether by not smoking or maintaining a healthy weight–how often they are genetic, and how often they occur by chance. The answer may surprise people who have spent decades believing they can control the development of cancer in their bodies.

According to the paper, 66 percent of cancerous mutations are random, 29 percent are preventable, and only 5 percent are genetic.   The numbers vary depending on the type of cancer. Lung cancer is indeed usually caused by cigarette smoke, while childhood cancer is often random. The authors hope that these statistics will help some parents feel less responsible for their children’s disease.

An earlier paper by the authors on the same topic stirred up controversy in the scientific community. Some feel that publicizing this viewpoint will make people less likely to follow advice about cancer prevention. This new study is likely to be even more controversial.

Vogelstein said:  “We’re not saying the only thing that determines the seriousness of the cancer, or its aggressiveness, or its likelihood to cause the patient’s death, are these mutations. We are simply saying that they are necessary to get the cancer.”

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