AHS18

This presentation will explore how evolutionary mismatches in our modern environment interact with our normal physiology to promote the development of cancer. There is currently an ongoing debate on whether cancer is metabolic or genetic in origin. This is an overly reductionist view that rarely gives a patient any actionable information. Patients commonly ask why they developed cancer to which the answer is most definitely multifactorial. Viewing cancer within an ancestral framework opens a discussion with patients on the many factors that lead to cancer development. Furthermore, it empowers the patient by providing a holistic framework that can aid in cancer prevention, treatment and recovery.