Stem cell divisions, somatic mutations, cancer etiology, and cancer prevention

Cancers are caused by mutations that may be inherited, induced by environmental factors, or result from DNA replication errors (R). We studied the relationship between the number of normal stem cell divisions and the risk of 17 cancer types in 69 countries throughout the world. The data revealed a strong correlation (median = 0.80) between cancer incidence and normal stem cell divisions in all countries, regardless of their environment. The major role of R mutations in cancer etiology was supported by an independent approach, based solely on cancer genome sequencing and epidemiological data, which suggested that R mutations are responsible for two-thirds of the mutations in human cancers. All of these results…

• JT
  John Templeton Foundation
• LF
  Lustgarten Foundation
• VA
  Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: P50-CA62924, R37-CA43460, P30-CA006973