re: #240 Obdicut

Wrong, you are twisting my words and putting words in my mouth.

The largest cause of any cancer is genetic, first and foremost.

Nope, smoking tobacco causes the majority of Lung Cancer in the US, about 90%. The two primary carcinogens in tobacco smoke are nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The nitrosamines are made from nicotine and related compounds by nitrosation, with 4-(mehylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and n’-nitrosonornicotine being demonstrated as the most carcinogenic.

So to be pedantic, it is the substances formed from the nicotine that are the primary cause of the majority of lung cancers. For the purpose of a blog post it is sufficient to mention nicotine or more generally tobacco use.

The influence of genetics is in terms of susceptibility, not causation. Thus those with good tumour suppressing genes my well avoid lung cancer despite exposure to the primary cause, tobacco, and likewise those with poor tumour suppressing genes will have a higher instance of lung cancer. But the causative factor is the tobacco, not genetic.

I’m wondering why you think Darwinian evolution is 100% certain.

Again, I never said any such thing. Do not put words in my mouth and ask me to defend them.