Lecture on Cancer Prevention and Screening

Introduction

• Discussion on cancer prevention and statistics
• Key speakers: Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia

Cancer Statistics

• 11-12 million global deaths per year from cancer
• 1 in 3 to 1 in 4 chance of developing cancer
• 1 in 6 chance of dying from cancer

Types of Cancer

• Prostate Cancer:
  • Nearly every male will have it but should not die from it due to easy screening
• Colon Cancer:
  • Easy to screen and treat in infancy
• Complicated cancers: Breast, pancreatic, glioblastoma multiforme

Cancer Overview

• Cancer is a category of diseases, not just one disease
• Different types within organs, e.g., different breast cancers (ER, PR-positive, HER2, triple-negative)

Genetics and Cancer

• Germline vs. somatic mutations
  • Germline: Inherited from parents, <5% of cancers, e.g., BRCA mutations
  • Somatic: Acquired mutations, >95% of cancers
• Major drivers: Smoking and obesity

Obesity and Cancer

• Obesity as a proxy for insulin resistance and inflammation
• BMI is a crude metric; waist-to-height ratio is a better measure

Environmental Factors and Cancer

• Exposure to toxins like asbestos
• Alcohol as a carcinogen
• Limited control over cancer compared to cardiovascular disease

Screening and Early Detection

• Importance of early cancer detection
• Imaging as the first line of screening
  • Visualization (skin, esophagus, gastric, colon)
  • MRI for internal cancers
  • Liquid biopsies for cell-free DNA

Medical Imaging and Radiation

• Concerns over radiation from CT scans and PET scans
• High doses from medical CT scans (up to 50 millisieverts)
• Use of MRI over CT due to lack of radiation

Practical Advice

• Avoiding excessive radiation exposure
• Ask about millisieverts before any imaging test

Conclusion

• Emphasis on awareness and informed choices regarding cancer screening and prevention