I’m wondering what happens on a cell level. Why does exposure to something cause cancer but something else won’t?
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There are genes in your DNA that controll things like how a cell grows and how often a cell divides. There are many different genes for this because its a complex process and it involves tons of check points and fail safes
Carcinogens are molecules that damage DNA and therefore can damage these genes. When enough are mutated then you run the risk of cancer.
Lot of times, the body is able to catch the mutated cell and kill it. This is why you dont get cancer the first time you smoke or go out in the sun for a day. Its when a critical amount of genes are mutated that the body fails to recognize it (cell literally learns how to hide from the immune system) that you run the risk for cancer.
This is also why all cancers are different, they stem from different gene mutations that eventually all lead to the same end result.
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