I take a medication (Methotrexate) to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The drug is also used to treat cancer in higher doses. Certain types of cancers are a potential side effect. How does a medication used to treat cancer also potentially cause it?
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Most of our chemical weapons against cancer mess with different steps in the process of cell reproduction, so that the rapidly-dividing cancer gets hit harder than the rest of you. In some cases, that includes directly reacting with DNA in ways that lead to cell death. This can also lead to mutations in vulnerable spots like bone marrow which can lead to things like leukemia. It’s also possible for a drug to have multiple effects unrelated to its main target.
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