Most cancer genes mutate or cause "bad luck"

Johns Hopkins University researchers in the United States published a paper two years ago saying that most cancers are caused by "bad luck" and that genetic and environmental factors have relatively little impact. This conclusion is highly controversial in the scientific community. Now, after further analysis, the university's researchers have again reported that most cancers do come from bad luck.Nearly two-thirds of cancer gene mutations can be attributed to random errors in DNA (deoxyrucleic acid) replication in healthy cells during division, rather than genetic or environmental factors, according to a new study published Wednesday in
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" normal cells change a few errors or mutations every time they divide. Most of the time, these mutations don't do harm because they occur in junk DNA, in genes unrelated to cancer, or in un important areas. That's the usual situation, and that's good luck," study author Bert Fogelstein, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University, said at a news conference in Washington. "But they happen by accident in cancer-driven genes, and that's bad luck."
Writing in the January 2015 issue of Science, Fogelstein et al. said differences in cancer risk in human tissue could be explained by the error of stem cell division, known as "bad luck," with two-thirds of cancer gene mutations as a result of "bad luck" and one-third due to genetic and environmental factors.conclusion was immediately highly controversial. Many scientists have criticized the study as "dangerously misleading" based entirely on U.S. cancer patients, not including breast and prostate cancer, and seriously underestimating the role of cancer prevention.
latest study, Fogelstein et al. analyzed the relationship between stem cell division and cancer risk in nearly 70 countries around the world using mathematical models based on 423 international cancer databases. These countries have a total population of 4.8 billion, or about two thirds of the world's population. The results showed a strong correlation between cancer risk and stem cell division. This association is universal and does not apply only to the United States.
For example, 77% of mutations in pancreatic cancer can be attributed to random errors in DNA replication, 18% to environmental factors such as smoking, only 5% to genetic factors, and 65% to lung cancer, 65% to environmental factors, mainly smoking, 35% to random errors in DNA replication, and genetic factors have no effect.
" Millions of people live a near-perfect lifestyle, don't smoke, rub sunscreen before the sun, eat healthy, exercise regularly, do everything we think we can prevent cancer, but they still get cancer. We hope this study will bring comfort to these patients. Fogelstein said. They need to know that no matter what they do, cancer can still happen. An
published in the journal Science says the debate over the theory of cancer's "bad luck" is expected to continue. Other experts say the study does not mean denying the importance of preventing cancer by improving the environment and lifestyle, with Cancer Research UK arguing that 42 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented. (Source: Chongqing Evening News)