Cancer causes
Damage to our DNA happens by chance and as we get older more of our DNA becomes damaged. This is why cancer is more common in older people.
65% of cancers occur in people over the age of 65.
Some of this damage is unavoidable, but we can also harm our DNA by the things we do, like smoking or lying out in the sun. The name carcinogen is given to any substance that causes damage that may lead to cancer. So the chemicals in cigarettes or the UV radiation from the sun are both types of carcinogen.
Our chances of getting cancer may also be increased because we have had a particular type of infection or because of a faulty gene that is passed on from one of our parents.
Some people's jobs put them at greater risk of cancer because they deal with harmful substances that may cause DNA damage.
Image of cancer cells kindly provided by the EM Unit at the London Research Institute.
