Chromosomes and Cancer

In my previous post, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease, I referenced an extensive review article that argues for a different etiology for cancer. Their argument is that it arises from mitochondrial dysfunction which in turn causes aneuploidy, the key focus of this recent research. As stated in the news release:

"The most common genetic change in cancer is the presence of an incorrect number of intact chromosomes within cancer cells -- a condition known as aneuploidy," 

 That remark is consistent with the claims of the earlier study. It is odd that only now is it beginning to receive more attention but that probably reflects the gene centric orientation of cancer research. It is tempting to think of these are competing paradigms but this is incorrect, the paradigms are complementary and together can provide a much better picture of what is happening in cancers. There is no single correct paradigm for understanding cancer. It can arise directly through specific mutations and through mitochondrial dysfunction. In the same way that cardiovsacular disease or neurodegeneration can arise through a number of risk factors, cancer can have multiple etiologies.

This suggests that those who propose magic bullets for cancer have completely misunderstood the nature of the pathology. Correct, they have. There are potentially many approaches to managing cancer, from increasing alkalinity to DCA, each cancer type may well respond to different strategies.

Cancer is NOT a single entity pathology!