What Causes Cancer?
Cancer is one of the most feared diseases humans face. Ironically, many cancers can be prevented. Why? What causes Cancer? Can cancer be avoided? Related to this, what are Carcinogens?
What are the Main Causes of Cancer?
One of the key causes of cancer is damage done to genes over time. This accumulation of genetic damage triggers certain cells to multiply in an abnormal way. When this happens, the cells form what is called a tumor.
A tumor can be benign or malignant. Malignant means that the cells are growing and spreading, while benign means that no such spread has yet occurred. However, this can be misleading because if left untreated, even benign cells will eventually grow and spread.
Yet, what are the main causes of this degeneration of the genes which trigger cancerous growths?
What Triggers Cancer Cells?
Cancer triggers are well-known and each day, researchers uncover more factors which may lead to cancer. This is because the trigger is genetic. When certain substances and conditions are present, the genes become damaged. As the damage grows, the likelihood of cancer likewise grows.
These triggers are known as carcinogens. To date, researchers have identified over 100 KNOWN carcinogens. However, these are simply the chemicals and other factors which will, over time, cause cancer. Include in this list other strongly-suspected carcinogens, and the figure rises to a minimum 141 substances
Because the most important factor in protecting our health is knowledge, this list of KNOWN carcinogens is provided here. At Kymera, we are dedicated to both treating cancer AND fighting it at the source. This means we have an obligation to current and future patients to help them avoid things which can cause them to need our cancer treatment services.
Following is a list of known and strongly suspected cancer-causing agents. Learn more at Cancer.org.
Known and Suspected Human Carcinogens
The following is a comprehensive list of known and suspected human carcinogens. We encourage everyone to review this list, bookmark this page for easy reference, and do your best to avoid as many of these as possible. This is not an easy thing to do in our society, but the more of these carcinogens we can eliminate from our personal lives and our families, the lower the risk we have of developing cancer.
- 1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (MeCCNU)
- 1,2-Dichloropropane
- 1,3-Butadiene
- 1,3-Butadiene
- 1,4-Butanediol dimethylsulfonate (busulfan)
- 2-Naphthylamine
- 2-Naphthylamine
- 2,3,4,7,8-Pentachlorodibenzofuran
- 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD); “dioxin”
- 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin
- 3,4,5,3′,4′-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126)
- 4-Aminobiphenyl
- 4-Aminobiphenyl
- 4,4′-Methylenebischloroaniline (MOCA)
- Acetaldehyde (in alcoholic beverages)
- Acheson process
- Acid mists
- Aflatoxins
- Aflatoxins
- Alcoholic beverage consumption
- Alcoholic beverages
- Aluminum production
- Analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin
- Areca nut
- Aristolochic acids
- Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds
- Asbestos
- Asbestos and similar mineral substances containing trace amounts (like talc or vermiculite)
- Auramine production
- Azathioprine
- Azathioprine
- Benzene
- Benzidine and metabolized dyes
- Benzoapyrene
- Beryllium and beryllium compounds
- Betel quid
- Bis(chloromethyl) ether and technical-grade chloromethyl methyl ether
- Bischloromethylether and chloromethyl methyl ether
- Busulfan
- Cadmium and cadmium compounds
- Chlorambucil
- Chlornaphazine
- Chromium (VI) compounds
- Chromium hexavalent compounds
- Clonorchis sinensis infection (Chinese liver fluke)
- Coal gasification
- Coal tar pitches
- Coal tars
- Coal-tar distillation
- Coal-tar pitch
- Coal, indoor emissions
- Coke oven emissions
- Coke production
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cyclosporin A
- Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
- Dyes metabolized to benzidine
- Engine exhaust, diesel
- Epstein-Barr virus infection
- Erionite
- Estrogen postmenopausal therapy
- Estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives
- Estrogen-progestogen postmenopausal therapy
- Estrogens, steroidal
- Ethanol in alcoholic beverages
- Ethylene oxide
- Etoposide combined with bleomycin and cisplatin
- Fission products (like strontium-90)
- Fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole
- Formaldehyde
- Haematite mining
- Helicobacter pylori infection
- Hepatitis B virus chronic infection
- Hepatitis C virus chronic infection
- Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
- Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection (types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59)
- Human papilloma viruses: some genital-mucosal types
- Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I infection (HTLV-1)
- Ionizing radiation
- Iron and steel founding
- Isopropyl alcohol manufacture using strong acids
- Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus infection (KSHV), (human herpesvirus 8)
- Leather dust
- Lindane
- Magenta production
- Melphalan
- Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV)
- Methoxsalen plus ultraviolet A radiation (PUVA)
- Methoxsalen with ultraviolet A therapy (PUVA)
- Mineral oils (untreated and slightly treated)
- MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents
- Mustard gas
- N’-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)
- Neutron radiation
- Nickel compounds
- o‑Toluidine
- Opisthorchis viverrini infection with (Southeast Asian liver fluke)
- Oral tobacco products
- ortho-Toluidine
- Outdoor air pollution
- Paint workplace exposure
- Phenacetin
- Phosphorus-32, as phosphate
- Plutonium
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Toxicity Equivalency Factor: (PCBs 77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, 157, 167, 169, 189)
- Processed meat consumption
- Radioiodines, (i.e. iodine-131)
- Radionuclides, alpha-particle-emitting
- Radionuclides, beta-particle-emitting
- Radium-224 and decay products
- Radium-226 and decay products
- Radium-228 and decay products
- Radon
- Radon-222 and decay products
- Rubber manufacturing, byproducts of
- Salted fish
- Schistosoma haematobium infection
- Semustine (methyl-CCNU)
- Shale oils
- Silica, crystalline (respirable size)
- Solar radiation
- Soot
- Strong inorganic acid mists which contain sulfuric acid
- Sulfur mustard
- Sunlamps or sunbeds exposure
- Tamoxifen (though there is conclusive evidence that it also reduces the risk of contralateral breast cancer in patients)
- Thiotepa
- Thorium dioxide
- Thorium-232 and decay products
- Tobacco (cigarette, cigar or pipe) smoke, environmental
- Tobacco (cigarette, cigar or pipe) smoke, secondhand
- Tobacco smoking (cigarettes, cigars, pipes)
- Tobacco, smokeless (snuff, dip, chewing tobacco)
- Treosulfan
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
- Ultraviolet (Broad Spectrum UV) radiation
- Ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices
- Vinyl chloride
- Wood dust
- X- and Gamma-radiation
Cancer is a terrible disease, but treatment advances in the last decade have resulted in more people beating it into remission than ever before. Kymera Independent Physicians are among those conducting research while using what is known to successfully treat cancer. If you suspect you or someone you love has cancer, please request an appointment at any of our Southeast New Mexico locations: Roswell, Hobbs, Carlsbad.
