eli5: Why does it seem like everything is carcinogenic and does that mean if it is, it causes cancer?

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I feel like I am always hearing about how things are carcinogenic, like red meat or air conditioners or aspartame. Why does it seem like *so* many things are carcinogenic and does that mean they cause cancer? Because it’s starting to feel like everything causes cancer…

This is the type of thing that gets my anxiety going so I’d love if someone who understands this better than I do can explain it.

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24 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Anything that destroys cells is “carcinogenic”

Thats what cancer is, mistake in replication / repair process that causes the cell to never die. Most cell when encountering mistakes in DNA are either harmless or just dies.

The more your body needs repairs, the higher the probability of fuk up. This is why smoking causes cancer.

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