Cancer is a renegade system of growth inside the human body. The changes that must occur inside
for cancer to flourish are genetic changes, but factors outside the body also play a role.
Humans do not exist in contaminant-free surroundings. Over a lifetime, a person's internal genetic
makeup persistently interacts with external factors. Factors outside the body such as diet,
smoking, alcohol use, hormone levels, or exposures to certain viruses and cancer-linked chemicals
(carcinogens) over time may collectively conspire with internal genetic mutations to destabilize
normal checks and balances on growth and maturation. (Please see
Understanding Cancer for
more information.)
![Cancer: Inside and Outside Factors](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090510224950im_/http://www.cancer.gov/images/Documents/167a5f6c-1c75-4b8a-b1bc-c7520def8d6b/slide1.jpg)
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