Is it true that everyone develops cancer cells that don’t show up in standard tests?
Cancer develops in a series of stages, beginning with change in the DNA of one cell. If the change in the DNA is not repaired and becomes permanent, it is referred to as an initiated cell. An initiated cell is not a cancer cell. Many scientists suggest that we could all have some initiated cells in our bodies, but currently available tests cannot detect them. The important point is that we don’t all develop cancer; research shows that initiated cells may never develop into cancer or be destroyed. For most types of cancer, there may be 10 to 20 years or more between formation of an initiated cell and the further DNA changes that allow the cell to develop into a clinical cancer. That’s why diet and lifestyle are so important to lower risk of cancer. A healthy lifestyle reduces exposure to carcinogens that cause initial damage to DNA and increases the body’s ability to inactivate DNA-damaging carcinogens. A balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans also conta
