Estonian researcher: Genes' role in cancer is overestimated; most cases due to bad luck or lifestyle
Leading Estonian researcher Mari Kiisa Nygaard states that only 5–10% of cancers are genetic, 35% are linked to lifestyle and infections, and the rest is simply bad luck. She emphasizes that every step towards a healthier lifestyle can delay cancer onset.
Mari Kiisa Nygaard, the scientific director of the Cancer Registry of Norway and a leading Estonian researcher, believes that the role of genetics in cancer development is overestimated. According to her, only 5 to 10 percent of cancer cases are caused by genes, about 35 percent are influenced by lifestyle and infections, and the remainder is simply bad luck.
She points out that the question is no longer whether a person will get cancer, but rather which type and how advanced it will be at diagnosis. Therefore, every opportunity to improve lifestyle is crucial to delay the onset of the disease. Taking care of health is valuable at any age, even after 40, when from an evolutionary perspective humans are no longer needed—those extra years are a gift.
While some forms of cancer are treatable and manageable without significantly reducing quality of life, many can be prevented by changing habits. The researcher encourages awareness that every step towards a healthier lifestyle is important to reduce risk.
