cancer risks

Question 1

what are the odds of being diagnosed with cancer during your lifetime?

Answer 1

1 in 3

Question 2

what are carcinogens?

Answer 2

substances that cause cancer by damaging DNA

Question 3

what is the most important risk factor?

Answer 3

advancing age

Question 4

what is the median age of people diagnosed with cancer?

Answer 4

66

Question 5

what percent of cancer cases are thought to be preventable?

Answer 5

38%

Question 6

which cancers are accountable for 53% of all new cancer cases in the UK?

Answer 6

breast
prostate
lung
bowel

Question 7

what are the three main preventable cancer risk cancers?

Answer 7

tobacco use
obesity
pathogens

Question 8

how does smoking act as a carcinogen?

Answer 8

81 carcinogenic compounds in cigarette smoke 
long latency period 
contains benzo(a)pyrene which is metabolised by the liver into other highly mutagenic species

Question 9

what are the main mutations induced by BP?

Answer 9

G to T

Question 10

how do infectious pathogens act as carcinogens?

Answer 10

viral infections contain high levels of E6 and E7 proteins which bind and suppress pRB and p53 which are tumour suppressor proteins