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hedwards: Right, we're susceptible to cancer because we're composed of a huge number of cells that need to divide regularly. That cell division happens anywhere from a few days for epithelial cells to about 50-60 years for neurons. Every time there's a cell division, there's a possibility that the cell will mutate in a way that results in uncontrollable growth.

Cockroaches are largely resistant to cancer because their cells only divide when they molt, which is far less frequently.

Anybody who lives long enough will wind up with cancer.
I'm not a doctor either, but i'm fairly sure that's not really how cancer works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_cancer

if every cellsplitting had a chance to produce cancer, even at astronomically low odds, any person would probably develop it multiple times a day. Plus the ones most at risk would be children since their metabolism is a lot faster than the ones of adults or elderly people.
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WBGhiro: if every cellsplitting had a chance to produce cancer, even at astronomically low odds, any person would probably develop it multiple times a day.
Sorry, ^ this doesn't make any sense. :)
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hedwards: Right, we're susceptible to cancer because we're composed of a huge number of cells that need to divide regularly. That cell division happens anywhere from a few days for epithelial cells to about 50-60 years for neurons. Every time there's a cell division, there's a possibility that the cell will mutate in a way that results in uncontrollable growth.

Cockroaches are largely resistant to cancer because their cells only divide when they molt, which is far less frequently.

Anybody who lives long enough will wind up with cancer.
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WBGhiro: I'm not a doctor either, but i'm fairly sure that's not really how cancer works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_cancer

if every cellsplitting had a chance to produce cancer, even at astronomically low odds, any person would probably develop it multiple times a day. Plus the ones most at risk would be children since their metabolism is a lot faster than the ones of adults or elderly people.
That's a bad source. There's numerous mistakes in the first few paragraphs without having to delve deeper. For example, non-ionizing radiation doesn't cause cancer. Neither does obesity. Obesity is linked to cancer, but it doesn't cause cancer.

Cancer is what happens when cells reproduce uncontrollably. That happens when the normal mechanisms to regulate cell death and rate at which they split are broken.

We've probably all got a small number of cancerous cells at any given time. However the body has mechanisms for dealing with that. What we refer to as cancer is what happens when those mechanisms break and the cells are able to divide long enough that we can identify it.

And yes, if you live long enough, you'll eventually get cancer. Between shortening telemeres on the DNA and sheer number of divisions, you will get cancer eventually, provided you don't die first. It's just the byproduct of the way that the body works. There's mechanisms in place to keep the risk to a minimum during the first 30-40 years of life, but the older you get, the less protection you get from cancer as there's no reason for evolution to favor that.
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hedwards: to about 50-60 years for neurons.
That's also the reason why brain cancer is not caused by mutated neurons, I think.
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WBGhiro: if every cellsplitting had a chance to produce cancer, even at astronomically low odds, any person would probably develop it multiple times a day.
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0Grapher: Sorry, ^ this doesn't make any sense. :)
I think most people don't think about this. You probably have a few cancerous cells, I probably have a few. Under normal circumstances it isn't an issue because they don't divide quickly enough to overwhelm the body. Normally they divide a few times then the body recognizes there's a problem and kills the cancerous cells.

And, I can't blame people for not wanting to think about it. There are things you can do that mitigate some of the risk, but even just free radicals from the oxygen we breathe can damage DNA and result in cancer forming. Only about 80% of lung cancer can be attributed to smoking, so there's the other 20% that's largely unaccounted for.

And even when it does develop into cancer and keeps dividing, it doesn't mean that the tumor is going to be malignant. There's a dog in my neighborhood that has a tumor that's literally the size of it's head. But, for whatever reason, the tumor hasn't spread, so the dog is otherwise healthy, if a bit funny looking with a huge tumor.
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hedwards: to about 50-60 years for neurons.
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0Grapher: That's also the reason why brain cancer is not caused by mutated neurons, I think.
I'd have to look into that. It wouldn't surprise me if that's correct though. Neurons are hardly the only cells in the brain. I have to admit that you've piqued my curiosity there.
Post edited October 17, 2015 by hedwards
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hedwards: For example, non-ionizing radiation doesn't cause cancer.
It just makes harmful mutations far more likely.
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hedwards: And yes, if you live long enough, you'll eventually get cancer.
I have heard that statistically doctors get cancer more often, but that's just because they are the only ones who realize that they've got cancer. :)
Best wishes, TB. I've never really followed your stuff, but I've always respected you.
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0Grapher: Sorry, ^ this doesn't make any sense. :)
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hedwards: I think most people don't think about this.
The biggest problem about this comment
"if every cellsplitting had a chance to produce cancer, even at astronomically low odds, any person would probably develop it multiple times a day."
...is that there's always the possibility of a chance to be so low that something would happen extremely rarely. This conclusion simply isn't logical and completely arbitrary.
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hedwards: For example, non-ionizing radiation doesn't cause cancer.
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0Grapher: It just makes harmful mutations far more likely.
Ionizing radiation can cause cancer because there's enough energy there to break molecular bonds which can cause DNA and RNA damage. And you're not going to notice that until you've already gotten cancer.

Non-ionizing radiation can't break bonds and by the time there's enough energy to break bonds, you're going to notice being burned. That's why you can get cancer from UV and cosmic rays, but no matter how long you stand under a light that doesn't produce high energy wavelengths, you'll never get cancer.

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hedwards: And yes, if you live long enough, you'll eventually get cancer.
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0Grapher: I have heard that statistically doctors get cancer more often, but that's just because they are the only ones who realize that they've got cancer. :)
Part of that is because they're more likely to notice, although, they're also less likely to go to the doctor, so I'm not sure if that's related. But, doctors also tend to spend time around things like X-ray equipment and harsh chemicals, so that's probably going to be a factor.
Shit.

His videos have become a part of my daily routine.

I wish him all the best.
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rtcvb32: As much as we hide our own faults and medical issues, everyone has something they are dealing with to some degree, minor or major.
There is nothing wrong with hiding things and keeping secrets unless it affects people close to you and around you especially your fans that support you. If TB had kept this a secret till his last breath, his fans would have been angry.

For example, my cousin married a religious virgin guy from a rich family. She told him she was a virgin too. She was a mudshark actually.

When he found out about it, he flew into a bout of rage and beat the living daylights out of her and got divorced. Secrets can destroy relationships and sometimes lives.
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rtcvb32: As much as we hide our own faults and medical issues, everyone has something they are dealing with to some degree, minor or major.
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tort1234: Secrets can destroy relationships and sometimes lives.
The truth can sometimes do the same.
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tort1234: Secrets can destroy relationships and sometimes lives.
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tinyE: The truth can sometimes do the same.
Often it's being too honest that can ruin your life... After you get punished for being honest, you stop being honest.
It's TB's decision. He can decide to share the information or to keep it to himself. Both options are equally valid and have to be accepted by his fans.


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tort1234: For example, my cousin married a religious virgin guy from a rich family. She told him she was a virgin too. She was a mudshark actually.

When he found out about it, he flew into a bout of rage and beat the living daylights out of her and got divorced.
I hope she called the cops and got a lot of money out of the divorce.
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stryx: snip
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tort1234: For example, my cousin married a religious virgin guy from a rich family. She told him she was a virgin too. She was a mudshark actually.

When he found out about it, he flew into a bout of rage and beat the living daylights out of her and got divorced.
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stryx: I hope she called the cops and got a lot of money out of the divorce.
No she didn't. Calling the cops would have created a public spectacle and everyone in the neighbourhood would have found out that she was a mudshark slut. Words do spread around like wildfire. That would have destroyed her "faithful christian wife" reputation.
Currently she is dating some other clueless white guy who has no idea about her past.

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tort1234: Secrets can destroy relationships and sometimes lives.
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tinyE: The truth can sometimes do the same.
The truth only hurts if you are too weak to handle it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnO3igOkOk
Post edited October 18, 2015 by tort1234