Reduction of Sporadic Malignancies by Stimulation of Cellular Repair Systems and by Targeting Cellular Energy Metabolism

About 40% of the population in the industrialized world will develop cancer at some point in their lives,and about half of these people will be cured. Unfortunately, however, approximately one in four Americans alone will die from cancer (over 560,000 Americans each year). Tomasetti and Vogelstein have recently reported that nearly two-thirds of all cancers are caused by random mutations of the body's stem cells. The more random mutations accumulate, the higher the risk of unchecked cell growth, which is a hallmark of cancer development. Knowing the causes of the tumor formation should allow for the development of preventative measures. But what if a tumor is formed due to random mutations during the individual's lifetime? Are there any preventive methods aside from early detection? Reducing the amount of replicative errors must decrease the accumulation rate of random mutations. In this book, the authors provide an overview of approaches that could influence the formation of cancers caused by random mutations, with a focus on methods aimed at modulating genomic stability and/or strengthening the damage repair processes. Targeting cell metabolism through exposure to moderate stress induced by caloric restriction, physical activity or mimetic compounds can activate endogenous defense mechanisms and cellular repair processes.