Are you born with the cancer cells that could eventually kill you?

well, since cells die and regenerate everyday I’d say you;re probably not born with the cells. But I would say it’s very likely you’re born with the genes that will give you it eventually.

No, cancer happens when a cell mutates, and has no control over how fast it doubles. These Rouge cells multiply faster then they die. This kills you by suffocating cells that are important to your survival (bone marrow, lungs, brain, etc.)

@Scrumpulator that’s why you get the lump ;)

@cage. No you have the lump ;) I don’t have a lump. jj

Some cancers are caused by viruses. Some cancers seem to have a genetic component in that you might have a genetic predisposition to a cancer. Here is a simple explanation for the multiple causes including exposure to environmental factors.

In no case are there cancer cells inside you waiting to wake up and form cancer.

@ Scrumppulator, I’m a bumpy lumpy grumpy sorta guy!

Marina strikes again.

@scrump: Did you mean rogue cells?

Yes, I suppose I meant the rogue cells. The answers above were helpful reminders of stuff that I already knew. I guess the question is really the predictive strength of genetic variables. How much can you know and how soon?

You’re born with the genetic predisposition to develop cancer, not the actual cancer cells in most cases. In childhood cancers, such as retinoblastoma, you are generally born with the cancer cells. These babies require surgery to survive.

a lot of people talk about the two hit hypothesis.
the first hit is having a problem with the mechanisms that fix DNA problems or kill cells with mutated DNAs. You may be born with this or you may acquire this “first hit” sometime in your life.
the second hit results in a DNA mutation that either does not allow cells to die or make them divide really fast, weirdly, and uncontrollably. Usually, you acquire this second hit from your environment.

There are multiple factors but in any case there have to be many mutations per cell before it becomes cancerous. Also even if cancer is in your family you would have to inherit the gene pool that makes you susceptible. Mutations will have increased with age which is why cancer is more common in older people. There is some simple explanation here http://www.whiplash101.com/2009/10/cancer-spinal-injury-and-inflammation/ For repair services this means that the whole family is home in each cell but each member has certain jobs sort of like family house cleaning…whereas other jobs are more general and several members pitch in and just because one member cleans the bathroom it doesn’t mean they are slated to clean the kitchen or do a specialized job like reorder the spice shelf. Also some family members are in bed sleeping when they should be working…