A new cancer hypothesis



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Throughout this site you will encounter an exciting and unexpected new cancer hypothesis. By its very nature a hypothesis ought to be unexpected, and in order to appreciate it you ought to shed off all preconceived ideas. The hypothesis will be presented from several perspectives: Clinics, epidemiology, genetics  and molecular biology

Hypothesis outline

Cance
r is manifested by three features :tumor,  para-neoplasia (neuro-endocrine changes), and cachexia (body wasting).

Stem cells: Have two functions: 1. Provide cells for tissue units. 2 Secrete a vital trophic substance-A which sustains the tissue. In the absence of this substance the tissue degenerates.

Substance-A is tissue specific. Each tissue requires its own specific substance-A.

Cancer is caused by a virus infection, mainly  retroviruses. Viruses infect and destroy tissue stem cells that produce substance A

Virus infection initiates a metabolic deficiency of substance-A manifested by weight loss which ends in cachexia. In order to compensate for the loss of substance- A, the organism grows a tumor whose task is to produce a substance-A substitute, called here substance-B

Substance-B is less effective than the original substance-A. As infection proceeds more and more  stem cells are depleted, and tumor  has to grow more  to make up  for the loss:
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Clinics

Cancer proceeds through three phases:

1. Full compensation.
Manifested by benign tumors like adenoma, or carcinoma in situ.
2. Partial compensation. Manifested by a growing tumor with gradual weight loss.
3. De-compensation: Manifested by metastasis , para-neoplasia, and cachexia.

Virus drives cancer: Manifestation intensity  depends on the intensity of the virus infection.

Treatment:  Spare the tumor as long as possible. Treat only when tumor impinges on vital functions and causes suffering.
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Epidemiology

Epidemiological studies indicate that the patient depends on her tumor. Its removal is associated with rising  death hazard.
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Pathology

Inflammation is a protective measure against infection by  viruses and bacteria
Outcome of infection depends on the structure which it destroys:
1.  When stem cells are spared,  inflammation may either restore the tissue or end as a scar..
2.  When stem cells are destroyed the infected tissues grow  a tumor.

Since generally the entire organ is infected, inflammation is a pathogenic field that extends along the entire organ. Amidst this field neoplasia evolves. Neoplasia is a pathogenic field centered at the neoplasm.

Neoplasia is always preceded by inflammation
Neoplastic progression is an ongoing restoration of the damage due to stem cell deprivation
Neoplasia evolves in  all tissues along the same trajectory, and  is an analog of the polyp cancer sequence.
Neoplastic evolution rate  is proportional to stem cell destruction rate.
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Genetics

Genes do not cause neither cancer nor any disease. They merely  indicate a predisposition.
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Molecular biology

In order to grow a tumor the organism actively manipulates its genes. For instance, with transposomes and retrotransposomes. Gene mutation is the first line of defence against retroviruses.

Tumor evolution is associated by  predictable molecular changes. 

Two kinds of changes:
1. Virus induced changes:
2. Organism changes:  Like, mutation, gene amplification, deletion, chromosome translocation polyploidy and  aneuploidy.


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Theory of Medicine

Medicine regards the organism as a complex machine which can be understood with mechanistic arguments. Disease is a malfunction, Treatment involves the reparation of malfunctions. Cancer evolution is an ongoing accumulation of malfunctions (errors).
Medicine applies machine statistics which are inadequate to explain health and disease.

Medicine adheres to the false dogma of biology: DNA -> RNA -> Protein which proclaims that the organism cannot manipulate its genes. In reality the organism manipulates its genes.

This inadequate theory of medicine spreads iatrogenesis, in cancer and other chronic diseases, e.g. diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome.

The current theory of medicine lacks concepts to handle adequately the complexity of the organism
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Philosophy

Medicine applies Cartesian philosophy of reduction to explain health and disease. A  philosophy that was abandoned by the exact sciences already in the 19th   century. This philosophy generates iatrogenesis that engulfs mercilessly our mankind. Medicine lacks concepts, and philosophy to handle the complexity of the organism.
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