Topics for a research paper that has to do with causes of cancer and cancer rese!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Hmm... second question on here today from someone whose teacher doesn't know much about cancer.

Nobody knows what causes cancer.

There are known risk factors for many types of cancer - for example smoking has been linked to lung and some other cancers (not all) and excessive sun exposure to skin cancers. But people who have never been exposed to those risk factors still develop those cancers.

You can reduce your risk of specific types of cancer by avoiding the known avoidable risk factors for that cancer; but you can't ensure you won't get it.

Up to 10% of cancers are hereditary.

The biggest risk factor for most types of cancer is getting older; most people diagnosed with cancer are over 60

Other than that, not a whole lot is known. Nobody knows why of two people with the same risk factors (or lack of them) one will develop cancer and the other won't.

You are likely to get some answers telling you cancer is caused by bad diet and other avoidable lifestyle factors. There is pretty much no scientific evidence to support those claims.

It's often less frightening for people who haven't had cancer to 'blame the victim' - that is, to blame cancer on avoidable lifestyle factors like bad diet, stress, lack of exercise etc - than it is for them to accept that cancer is a largely random disease that can strike any of us regardless of lifestyle.

Controversial cause could be radiation treatment. Some cancers such as thyroid cancer and leukemia are caused by radiation. However, you might be getting radiation as treatment for another cancer or another disease so, you have to weigh the risks and benefits.