Carcinogens

jodymaro1
jodymaro1 Posts: 78 Member
edited October 17 in Food and Nutrition
A carcinogen is a substance, organism, or agent that can cause cancer. Carcinogens can be natural or synthetic, physical or biological, and can be found in the environment or created by humans:

Natural: Ultraviolet rays from the sun, certain viruses
Synthetic: Asbestos, cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust fumes
Physical: Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
Biological: Viruses and bacteria

Most carcinogens work by damaging a cell's DNA, causing mutations. However, exposure to a carcinogen doesn't necessarily mean that cancer will develop. Many factors can influence whether someone exposed to a carcinogen will develop cancer, including: The amount and duration of exposure and The individual's genetic background.
Some examples of carcinogens include:

Processed meats like bacon, salami, pepperoni, and sausage

Nitrosamines, which are found in smoked foods and meats and can cause stomach cancer
Polycyclic hydrocarbons, which are found in cigarette smoke and can cause bladder, lung, oropharynx, kidney, and esophagus cancers
Hydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, which are probable or possible human carcinogens

Replies

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,099 Member
    Good PSA!

    But good luck removing my pepperoni pizza from my cold, dead hands...
  • jodymaro1
    jodymaro1 Posts: 78 Member
    What is PSA? You're funny! LOL! Good luck ripping bacon out of my hands lol. I don't have it every week but I love it lol
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,099 Member
    Public Service Announcement
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,110 Member
    I figure what I breathe involuntarily is just as, if not more, likely to give me cancer than my smallgoods and bacon, so I'm gonna take my chances!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,917 Member
    Avoiding carcinogens can be important, but our own choices (or the consequences of those choices) can also significantly increase our cancer risk.

    In terms of relative risk, obesity increases risk of cancer-specific mortality by around 17% (1). Exercise reduces risk, but sedentary behavior (even in a context where we have some exercise activity most days) is an independent risk factor for some cancers. (2)

    (1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9857053/
    (2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7931121/

    I'm not writing this as a criticism or a "blame the victim" thing. I'm myself a survivor (so far) of an advanced-stage cancer (at age 44) whose likelihood was significantly increased by the fat that I was obese. I'm also a cancer widow, and his risk for that cancer type was increased by some of his lifestyle choices. As many as 30-40% of cancers might have been avoidable through modifiable factors in our lives. (That's in reference (2) above.)

    Cancer is a bad outcome. I'm a big believer that we need to own the consequences of our own choices. I also believe that if we want to worry about things like cancer, the most productive focus is things we personally can actually control or at least influence. Some of our environmental factors fall into the "can control or influence" sphere, but many don't. The lifestyle factors are almost totally in our control.

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