Cancer prevention

What percentage of smokers will develop cancer?

Around 48%.

What did researchers from Imperial College London discover about ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption?

A 6% rise in cancer risk for every 10% increase in UPF consumption.

How much sugar does the average person consume annually in the US and the UK?

Around 57 lb (26 kg) in the US and 34 lb (16 kg) in the UK, mainly from processed food.

What did researchers at the National University of Singapore discover about sugar and cancer?

High levels of methylglyoxal (MGO) from glycolysis can damage DNA and switch off cancer-suppressing genes.

Who is particularly sensitive to the effects of MGO?

People with a faulty BRCA2 gene, diabetics, and those with high UPF diets.

What is Alfred Knudson's "two-hit" paradigm?

Cancer begins when both cancer-suppressing genes are permanently inactivated.

What did Otto Warburg observe about cancer cells?

They consume large amounts of glucose, fermenting it to produce lactate, even with oxygen present.

What percentage of cancers are attributed to environmental factors?

Up to 90%.

What are the five repair mechanisms that prevent cancer?

Tetraploidization, cell division arrest, apoptosis, elimination by the immune system, and prevention of cancerous cell survival.

What lifestyle changes are recommended to reduce cancer risk?

Avoid smoking, environmental pollutants, excessive x-rays, obesity, and ultra-processed foods.

What is the primary cause of the increased likelihood of developing cancer from processed foods?

Too much processed food switches off cancer-fighting genes.