GENETIC/GENERIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENESIS

Endometrial cancer is one of the more common cancers among women throughout the world. The endometrium is the inner tissue lining of the uterine cavity, which grows and sheds during the menstrual cycle, and is governed by the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

There has been a gradual increase in incidence of endometrial cancer among women over the recent years. Fortunately, as endometrial cancers tend to present with early symptoms, they are usually detected much earlier than other cancers (such as ovarian cancer), making it much more treatable at this early stage.

Are You At Risk?

Women considered to be at Increased Risk:

• History of unopposed estrogen therapy
• Women who have never been pregnant
• Infertility or those who do not ovulate
• Late menopause
• Tamoxifen therapy
• Obesity
• Diabetes mellitus
• Hypertension

Uterine (Endometrial) cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer (i.e., cancer that originates in female reproductive system). It develops in the body of the uterus, or womb, which is a hollow organ located in the lower abdomen. The wall of the uterus is comprised of an inner lining (called the endometrium) and an outer layer of muscle tissue (called the myometrium).

Endometrial cancer (Uterine Cancer) is most common after the reproductive years, between the ages of 60 and 70. Endometrial cancer is sometimes called uterine cancer, but there are other cells in the uterus that can become cancerous — such as muscle or myometrial cells…

Cancer of endometrium is prevalent mostly in the age group of 50-70 years and occurs very rarely after the age of 75 years. Also, the chances of development of tumors in endometrium are very less in women less than 45 years of age. Thus, proper and detailed medical testing is very important in early ages to keep a track on behavior of cells and cell-development in the body.

Endometrium is present near the uterus and is the region forming lining of uterus. Thus, endometrial cancer is also known as uterine cancer or cancer of uterus. Cancer developing in the endometrium is the most common no rx canada pharmacy form of cancerous growth in the uterine areas and is difficult to detect in early stages without opting for proper and reliable endometrial cancer diagnosis methods.

Endometrial cancer can be primary or secondary and may develop at different pace in different people. Primary form of cancer of endometrium is a kind of malignant growth that initiates in the endometrium itself and affects other areas in due time. Also, the chances of spread of tumors to vital areas like vagina, ovary, abdomen, bladder, and colon are high in this type of disorder. Secondary form of cancerous infection in endometrium is a condition in which the tumor-cells develop in various other parts like lungs, rectum, bladder, colon, abdomen, vagina etc and reach endometrial areas after these tumor-cells develop a tendency to metastasize and invade uterine region.

An estimated 60% to 84% of patients with cancer develop bone metastasis. Of these 70% experience pain syndrome which is difficult to manage, of which 50% die without adequate pain relief with a poor quality of life. It is therefore necessary to have accessible and effective medications for the management of this condition. One of the most common pain syndromes in patients with advanced cancer is bone metastasis. This is difficult to manage and control in clinical practice. Currently, scientific advances in cancer detection and treatment have prolonged life expectancy in patients. Unlike the cash advances case with the phenomenon of bone pain in cancer, where current treatment strategies are not significantly effective.

Most palliative treatment of bone pain are based on clinical studies on pain management in patients or in experimental models is not well designed this could explain why the drugs used are partially effective. Today, one of the main obstacles in developing new, safe treatments to control bone pain is the absence of basic science knowledge in the physiology of bone pain. The human body is made of more than 200 bones. The bones support the body and protect organs such as the heart and lungs. Bones are made of cells called osteocytes, which are bound together by a calcium-like material to give the bone strength. Bones are filled with a spongy material called bone marrow. Bone marrow makes blood cells. The bones in the body serve several purposes. They support and protect internal organs (for example, the skull protects the brain and the ribs protect the lungs). Muscles pull against the bones to make the body move. Bone marrow makes and stores blood cells. Bone cancer is a form of cancer which is caused when abnormal growth of cells happens in the bone.

Very rarely the cancerous growth starts in the bone. Bone cancer is quite common in children and teenagers. In adults mostly this happens when the cancer from any other organ gets metastasized to the bone and start forming the tumors. Initially the symptom of the bone cancer is pain which becomes unbearable in the later stages. One of the main causes of bone cancer pain is the formation of the tumor which presses the nerves and other tissues surrounding it. In many patients the pain is caused as a side effect of the other forms of treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Bone pain is associated with tissue destruction by osteoclast cells. Normally, osteoclastic bone resorption are in balance with bone formation mediated by osteoblasts. In neoplastic osteolytic activity is increased and there are substances such as cytokines, local growth factors, peptides similar to parathyroid hormone and prostaglandins. Autacoids are also released other owners as potassium ions, bradykinin and osteoclast activating factors. These tissue substances play an important role in sensitizing the neural tissue against chemical and thermal stimuli, lower thresholds for discharge of the neuronal membrane, produce exaggerated responses to stimuli above the threshold and result in discharges of tonic impulses normally silent nociceptors.

This phenomenon is called peripheral sensitization and primary hyperalgesia and is understood as events occurring within the ranks of the injured tissue and stimulate peripheral nociceptors (C fibers and A delta fibers) translating pain.  Cancers that begin in the bone are quite rare. On the other hand, it is not unusual for cancers to spread to the bones from other parts of the body. When this happens, the disease is not called bone cancer. Each type of cancer is named for the organ or the tissue in which it begins. Cancer that spreads is the same disease and has the same name as the original cancer. Treatment for cancer that has spread to the bones depends on where the cancer started and the extent of the spread. Pain is the most common symptom of bone cancer. However, symptoms may vary depending on the location and size of the cancer.

Certain complications may arise due to bone pain in cancer patients. The compression of spinal cord may happen as each vertebra in the spinal cord is joined by ligaments making the vertebral column. In case an of these bones get damaged then spinal cord will be damaged due to nerve injury will happen. Another complication which is quite common due to hypercalcemia which means the blood calcium level gets increased which results in the symptoms like, Frequency of urination increases:

1. Appetite is lost
2. Vomiting and nausea
3. Constipation
4. Fatigue
5. Change in behavior

Brain cancer is usually caused by growth of cancer cells in the brain itself or the spread of cancer cells to the brain from other parts of the body. In the former case it is categorized as primary and in the latter as secondary. The tumor may be benign or malignant. If benign, it may not be life threatening. The malignant one is cancerous and is the leading killer among all types of cancer. Most of the initial symptoms of Brain Cancer are usually passed off as routine medical problems and get associated with common ailments. However, they do show some indications which can serve as a warning.  Brain cancer is a kind of cancerous growth in brain. The infection can be non-cancerous in the initial stages and may lead to formation of just the payday loans online benign tumors. Such tumors are generally non-aggressive and do not cause any major impact on the cell behavior in brain areas. The tumors do not invade tissues but form non-cancerous lumps. These non-cancerous lumps may turn cancerous if left untraced or untreated for a long time.

Formation of cancerous tumors or progress of benign tumors into cancerous ones is a serious condition as it directly affects the cell-health and cell-development process. The condition also causes poor generation of necessary resources in the brain areas and causes inefficient functioning of brain. Formation of cancerous tumors causes further abnormality among healthy cells and tissues present in or adjacent to the infected area and creates an uncontrollable condition.  At this time, there are only two known types of tumors that cause brain cancer. The first are called primary brown tumors, and the second is instant payday loans known as secondary metastatic brain tumors. Metastatic tumors are caused by cancerous cells that have moved up from other locations in the body. It is possible to have a brain tumor without that tumor being cancerous. Primary brown tumors can be either cancerous or

non-cancerous. That is, the cells of the tumor may multiply but then stop or continue to multiply uncontrollably. Both types of primary brown tumors can cause complications including stroke, vision loss and hearing loss. Primary brain tumors rarely attack the central nervous system, and if it does attack, it is not usually the cause of death. Death by primary brown tumors commonly results from the large size of the tumor, which grows uncontrollably inside the skull. Any cancerous brain tumor is life threatening. The effect of the tumor on the brain is to impact brain functions, from memory areas to perceptual and reasoning function. Sometimes brain tumors can attack vital functions and structures such as arteries. Secondary metastatic brain tumors are necessarily cancerous. It is caused by cancerous cells migrating from some other cancer in the body to the brain where it behaves exactly as a primary brown tumor with equal effect and impact on the brain. The prognosis for those with primary brain cancer is not promising. Out of the 17,000 people diagnosed with primary brain cancer in the United States each year, about 13,000 perish from the disease. In children, the occurence is much lower at only 3 in every 100,000.

Glandular tissue cancer is a type of adencarcinoma, and can affect different parts of the body. Such affected regions in the body include the stomach, the breasts, the colon, cervix, prostate and pancreas just to name a few. One particularly common type of glandular cancer is adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Lung cancer is the most popular cancer cause of death in men, and the second most common in women.

Frequent symptoms of lung cancer:
1. Continuous chest throbbing
2. Persistent coughs that become severe
3. Shortness of breath, puffing, or huskiness
4. Constant troubles with pneumonia or bronchitis
5. Coughing up blood
6. Inflammation of the neck and face
7. Loss of appetite or significant weight loss
8. Exhaustion

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lung is responsible for approximately 40 to 50 percent of diagnosed lung cancers each year. It is a form of non-small cell lung cancers, which accounts for close to 80% of all lung cancers. Detecting such illnesses early on in its journey will definitely increase survival rates in addition to helping alleviate many its side effects. Nevertheless, adenoid cystic carcinoma may not be easily visible during its early stages. Lung cancer is the most common payday loan debt consolidation cause of death because of cancer in both men and women around the world. The American Cancer Society estimated that 222,520 new installments causes & symptoms of lung cancer in the U.S. is going to be diagnosed and 157,300 deaths because of lung cancer would occur in 2010. Based on the U.S. National Cancer Institute, approximately one inch every 14 men and women within the U.S. will be identified as having cancer of the lung at some point in their lifetime.

Its origin is typically found surrounding parts of the lungs and is often found in women, even in non-smokers. One of its subtypes known as BAC or bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is found in many non-smoking women. The majority of patients tend to be of Asian decent, and most sufferers are usually under the age of 45. Lung cancer in general is continuing to increase over the years, perhaps due to the increasing amount of smokers across the globe. There have been many suggestions as to the increase in cancer numbers. One being the addition of cigarette filters which have demonstrated to potentially allow even more smoke to be inhaled deeper in the lungs, thus triggering adenoid cystic carcinoma. Cigarettes contains more than four-thousand chemical compounds. A number of these compounds have been demonstrated to cause cancer and therefore are referred to as, ‘Carcinogenic.’ There are two main Carcinogens in cigarettes; they are chemicals known as, ‘Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons,’ and, ‘Nitrosamines.’ An individual’s risk of developing Lung Cancer decreases each year after they have quit smoking as healthy cells start to grow and replace cells which have been damaged in their lungs. After approximately 15 years of not smoking, the chance installment loans online of developing Lung Cancer in former smokers approaches what non-smoker.

Even though early symptoms, for example chest pain or fatigue, tend to be overlooked, there have been some well-known symptoms associated with ACC. Since this form of cancer is prone to spreading from the outer lung, symptoms including coughing up blood and a chronic chough are generally seen. It’s imperative to consult your doctor if you have been experiencing any of these signs.

Treatment of Large-Cell Lung Cancer:
* Chemotherapy – This is cancer treatment making use of drugs to prevent the increase of cancer cells. Drugs are either taken by mouth or injected in the veins and muscles to destroy cancer cells. These drugs go into the bloodstream to treat cancer cells in the body. When chemotherapy is placed straight in the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity like the abdomen, these drugs generally distress cancer cells in those parts.
* Laser therapy – Laser is used to destroy cancer cells.

Thyroid cancer is one of the most commonly known out of the many different types of Endocrine cancers. Thyroid cancer is caused by the extremely rapid growth of cancer cells somewhere around the region of the thyroid gland. These give rise to a malignant tumor which, in the end, causes thyroid cancer.

One shoe doesn’t fit all. Same is the case here. Depending on the medical history, age etc, the symptoms may vary widely from one person to another. Many studies have been conclusive in pointing out that symptoms rarely present themselves if the cancer is in its infancy.

As the cancer cells grow and involve other tissues of the neck, it may cause the symptoms mentioned below.

Lump or nodule in neck- A lump in the front of the neck, just beneath the Adam’s apple, is the foremost sign of cancer. Usually, the lumps or nodules grow slowly but in some cases they increase in size within no time. On touching the lump or nodule, you may get an impression that the entire thyroid is moving.

Malignant Tumor- This tumor is cancerous, they causes damage to the adjacent organs by spreading the cancer cells at high rate. The cells in this tumor invade the distant organs and forms new tumors through blood flow or by lymphatic system. The new tumor has the same characteristic features of the primary tumor. For example, if the thyroid cancer spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in the lungs are actually belonging to the thyroid cancer cells but not to the online pills no prescription lung cancer cells. Then this disease is called as metastatic Thyroid cancer.

Difficulty to breathe- The nodule or lump in neck may compress the trachea (wind pipe) to cause breathing difficulties. One may experience breathing problems if the nerve to trachea gets affected by the cancer growth.

This version of leukemia is also called as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is caused by unusual growth and development non-granular white blood cells during their early stages of formation. ALL is predominantly seen in children. It is noteworthy that this version of the disease is frequently in industrialized countries. Leukemia is considered one of the most dangerous forms of cancer, given that it affects the blood and its functions. It is also considered as dangerous because of the very difficult symptoms that people who suffer from the disease exhibit, such as abnormal bleeding and increased incidence of infections. However, recent developments in medical research have now increased the chances of beating the disease.  Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that the body uses to fight infections. In ALL, the bone marrow makes lots of unformed cells called blasts that normally would develop into lymphocytes. However, the blasts are abnormal. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The number of abnormal instant payday loans cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs.

Typically, the diagnosis is done after around 4 to 6 weeks of illness is reported. One primary illness symptom is the non-specific bodily infection that sustains. The child or the patient during this time endures a pain in the joints, back or limbs. Some children can find walking to be a difficult exercise as the swelling gets larger. The onset of a purple brown rash gives a clear signal to go for a blood test. Chemotherapy is one such way, though this may take too much time. In fact, treatment using this method can take a period of not less than two years. Another way of treating the condition is by fixing the bone marrow problem. This method is expensive and is done in very few countries since it involves use of sophisticated instruments and highly experienced medics. Sometimes the thymus gets affected and this may lead to shortness of breath and coughing. A venous blockage could also occur and may induce more swelling in other parts of the body like the arm and the head. This is a life-threatening situation and is called as SVC syndrome. The actual development of the disease is mostly unknown but physicians usually use the number of white blood cells to predict the further course of the Leukemia; a further identification of abnormal cells inside the best payday loans bone marrow has a negative prognosis. Another important clinical sign is the increase of some organ’s size (especially spleen) due to an accumulation of white cells inside their tissues.

About 20% of all human cancers are caused by chronic infection or chronic inflammatory states. Recently, a new hypothesis has been proposed for prostate carcinogenesis. It proposes that exposure to environmental factors such as infectious agents and dietary carcinogens, and hormonal imbalances lead to injury of the prostate and to the development of chronic inflammation and regenerative ‘risk factor’ lesions, referred to as proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA). By developing new experimental animal models coupled with classical epidemiological studies, genetic epidemiological studies and molecular pathological approaches, we should be able to determine whether prostate cancer is driven life coverage quote by inflammation, and if so, to develop new strategies to prevent the disease. Cancer, a progressive disease that occurs in a series of well-defined steps. It is induced through mutations, which inactivate tumour suppressor genes or the activation of oncogenes resulting in proliferating cells. Prostate cancer, the most common diagnosed malignancy and source of considerable morbidity and mortality for men around the world, accounts for the 3rd leading cause of death in men in Jamaica. Aside from the contributions of age, race, and family history, which are poorly understood, environmental and lifestyle factors like male sexual behaviour have been suspected of playing a role in prostate carcinogenesis. Recently, there has been increased interest in sexually transmitted infections [STIs] and sexual history as risk factors for prostate cancer. From as early as the 1950s it was postulated that the transmission of a carcinogenic agent through sexual practices may have resulted in an increase in prostate cancer cases. Prostate cancer remains a significant health concern for men throughout the world. Recently, there has developed an expanding multidisciplinary body of literature suggesting a link between chronic inflammation and prostate cancer. In support of this hypothesis, population studies have found an increased relative risk of prostate cancer in men with a prior history of certain sexually transmitted infections or prostatitis. Furthermore, genetic epidemiological data have implicated germline variants of several genes associated with the immunological aspects of inflammation in modulating prostate cancer risk. The molecular pathogenesis of cash advance prostate cancer has been characterized by somatic alterations of genes involved in defenses against inflammatory damage and in tissue recovery. A novel putative prostate cancer precursor lesion, proliferative inflammatory atrophy, which shares some molecular traits with prostate intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer, has been characterized.

If you have been diagnosed with asbestos cancer, or by its clinical term, mesothelioma, it means you have a form of cancer that damages the mesothelium which is a membrane that encases our lungs, chest, abdomen and heart. The heart is protected by mesothelial tissue that surrounds it and is dubbed the pericardium. The lungs and chest cavity is covered by the pleural mesothlium membrane, and the peritoneum is what covers the abdominal cavity using mesothelial tissue. Asbestos is an extraordinary fibrous material that is resistant to chemicals and fire and insulates against noise, heat and electricity. The individual fibres are very strong and they could be added to cement, plastics and resins. If that was not enough to ensure unprecedented usage during an age of building and development, it was also cheap. Asbestos was considered to be a ‘wonder material’. Asbestos damages every one of these membranous cells, however the most typical is pleural mesothelioma, usually in the advanced stages of this disease the cancer spreads and attacks other areas of the body. The impetus for this article health insurance online is to delve into the various studies concerning asbestos and cigarette smoke.  One interesting study is called, “Cocarcinogenic and tumor promoting properties of asbestos and other minerals in tracheobronchial epithelium.” By Mossman BT, Cameron GS, Yotti LP. – Carcinog Compr Surv. 1985;8:217-38.  Here is an excerpt: “Abstract – Epidemiologic and experimental studies document a synergistic effect of asbestos and smoking in the induction of bronchogenic carcinoma. Whereas the increased risk of these cancers in nonsmoking asbestos workers is 4-fold or less in comparison to nonsmokers in the general population, individuals who smoke and are exposed to asbestos occupationally have a 80-90 fold increased risk. The observations summarized above provide substantial insight into the interactions between asbestos and chemical carcinogens in cigarette smoke at the cellular level (Fig. 8). On the one hand, asbestos fibers and other particulates appear to act as condensation nuclei for PAH in the occupational setting or environment. They then facilitate the transfer of these chemical carcinogens into target cells, i.e., those destined to develop into tumor cells. As a result, the adduct formation of PAH to DNA is encouraged, an event linked intrinsically to initiation of transformation. Alternatively, asbestosappears to enhance and modulate the further development of initiated cells to neoplastic cells by a process resembling tumor promotion in mouse skin. In this regard, the most dramatic example illustrating the importance of asbestos in two-stage carcinogenesis is an experiment by Topping and Nettesheim. These investigators inserted the PAH, 7,12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene (DMBA) into the lumen of rat trachea which then were implanted on syngeneic animals. Subsequently, chrysotile asbestos was introduced, and grafts were removed for histology when palpable tumors occurred. The Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) is there, primarily, to protect the 1.8 million people who work on or near asbestos away from the licensed regime. A written Asbestos Management Plan is a legal requirement for all workplaces liable to contain asbestos [any building built before 1999]. The plan sets out the procedures and processes that govern all activities that could disturb asbestos; this may include office workers and senior life insurance cleaners to maintenance staff and refurbishment contractors. Anyone whose work involves the disturbance of the fabric of the building or anyone whose job includes managing or commissioning others to work on the fabric of the building will have their activities controlled via the AMP. The AMP is written and controlled by the primary Duty holder, the entity responsible for the repair and maintenance of a building.

How would you like to breath in an air with over 4,000 chemical compounds that can literally lead you to cancer? Quite a number though for a small stick burnt into the air and spreading like a virus. Spreading like it’s taking 600,000 people down last year 2009 who were exposed to passive smoking or what we called secondhand smoke. There were at least 5 million people die every year with smoking and the death toll would increase to 8 million by 2030. Smoking not only adversely affects the overall health of the smoker, but it is harmful to nonsmoker alike.Secondhand smoke is payday loans online categorized into two main groups: mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Mainstream smoke is the smoke inhaled and exhaled by a smoker; side stream smoke is the smoke given off from the tip of a burning cigarette. If you are a regular smoker and are hesitant to quit then consider this: You habit is not only harming your body, it is also harming the bodies of those around you-especially the people you love most like family and friends. Smokers harm those in the surrounding environment via secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is the smoke that is exhaled after each puff on a cigarette and it contains over 4,000 toxins and cancer causing compounds. It can be fatal to both the smoker and the innocent bystander. A wide cases of health threats due to secondhand smoke has been reported all over the world such as heart disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma attacks. Studies is also in progress that passive smoke can also be linked to breast cancer and can also be transferred to lactating babies thru breast milk. Cancer, a hard to cure disease as result of uncontrolled proliferation of the cell, is a serious health consequence of secondhand smoke. Cancer of the lung and respiratory tracts are one of the causes of death. But cancer may also occur in organs that are not part of the respiratory system such as kidney, brain and stomach.  Scientists have found that there is a positive correlation between exposure to secondhand smoke and cancer disease. In other words, the longer a person inhales seondhand smoke, the more likely he or she will develop cancer. Inhaling tobacco smoke allows the toxins and irritating substances in the smoke to settle in the moist areas of the airways. This is what triggers an asthma attack; it also makes the attack more intense than usual and more difficult to recover from since the cilia in the airways are damaged and cannot sweep the toxin and junk away and help the breathing process even out. Researches have shown a number of way wherebysecondhand smoke can lead to heart diseases.  Platelet, metabolically active cells that contain no nucleus in the blood, canada pharmacy no prescription can be activated after exposure to secondhand smoke. This triggers a series of reactions that lead to blood clot formation, which can cause damages to arteries and ultimately causes heart diseases. Additionally, secondhand smoke can negatively affect blood vessels like increasing their stiffness and decreasing their ability to dilate. People who smoke should take precautions especially when they are indoor with their family and love ones. People who don’t smoke should encourage smokers to quit and help them forit is a tough process to go through. There are many government and private sectors who provide help and reaches to smokers worldwide in order to quit smoking. Motivation from the people who value an individual who smoke to stop is a great action to save lives not just the for the smoker himself but for the other people who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

Due to our society’s on-going socio-economic changes, there has been brought forth, an increased number of working women, and hence, delayed childbearing, and there has been a steep rise in the number of breast cancer patients in the last few decades. But as the incidence of the patients has risen so has it raised the modality of treatments and survival success rates. Also, scientists have devised methods by which the cancer can be detected in an early stage and it has been convincingly proven that early detection and treatment bears a better prognosis than at the later stage. According to research, a woman (or man) is at increased risk of developing breast cancer if she (or he) inherits a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation from a family member. What are BRCA1 and BRCA2? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are types of genes that are sometimes referred to as tumor suppressors. If these genes are normal, they will help the body to prevent uncontrolled cell growth. The hormones in question are estrogen payday loans uk and progesterone. Any levels significantly different from the average of the females at the age the woman is, represents an increase in probability of getting breast cancer. This includes age factors for the beginning age of menstruation as well as the ending age. If a girl begins menstruation at an early age, or a woman past middle age has not reached menopause, cancer risk increases. While most hereditary cancer of the breast can be attributed to BRCA1 and BRCA2, these are not the only inherited genes that can lead to the development of breast cancer. Mutations of other genes such as TP53, MSH2, PTEN, and ATM, are also associated with hereditary cancer. Whether breast cancer is genetic is really two questions. One is whether family genetics are a major factor, and the other is the genetic cause of recurrence in the actual patient. Concerning the latter, a woman who previously had breast cancer that was successfully removed still has a very significantly higher risk of getting it again. An operationally removed tumor in early stages represents the best chance of reducing future risk. Chemotherapy and radiation are not as effective, since the cancerous stem cells are never destroyed. Stem cells are the special cells that do the multiplying and replacement of old cells. So if cancerous stem cells, even in small quantities are still present, their genetic code will be replicated in some of the cells with which the body replaces old cells. Family genetic factors are definitely involved, although most researchers believe that genetic inheritance is not the primary cause of cancer.