Cancer causing substances in the environment
(Quratulain Ali, Rawalpindi)
Cancer is caused by changes to
certain genes that alter the way our cells function. Some of these genetic
changes occur naturally when DNA is replicated during the process of cell
division. But others are the result of environmental exposures that damage DNA.
These exposures may include substances, such as the chemicals in tobacco smoke,
or radiation, such as ultraviolet rays from the sun.
People can avoid some cancer-causing exposures, such as tobacco smoke and the
sun’s rays. But others are harder to avoid, especially if they are in the air we
breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, or the materials we use to do our
jobs.
The substances like asbestos ,benzene ,beryllium ,cadmium ,alfatoxins are among
the most likely carcinogens to affect human health. But Simply because a
substance has been designated as a carcinogen does not mean that the substance
will necessarily cause cancer. Many factors influence whether a person exposed
to a carcinogen will develop cancer, including the amount and duration of the
exposure and the individual’s genetic background.
I conclude by saying that “Cancer is only going to be a chapter in your life,not
the whole story”.