Bad luck may play a role in two thirds of cancers

Two-thirds of cancer incidence may be attributable to random DNA mutations that occur when stem cells divide While environmental factors and genetics play a role in the development of cancer, scientists at Johns Hopkins University have used statistical modeling to show that two-thirds of adult cancers may be attributable to "bad luck," or random mutations, rather than lifestyle. Researchers Bert Vogelstein M.D. and Cristian Tomasetti PhD charted the number of stem cell divisions in 31 tissue types and compared them with the lifetime risks of cancer in the same tissues among Americans.

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