Final answer:
An increase in cancer incidence with age may be due to increased risks of translocation mutations, a decline in DNA repair efficiency, and a rise in mitotic errors, leading to the growth of abnormal cells. Cancer represents a spectrum of diseases with uncontrolled cell proliferation, often influenced by genetic predispositions and environmental factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dramatic increase in cancer incidence with age suggests a few key points. First, as we age, there might be increased risks of translocation mutations, significantly raising the risk of developing cancer. It is also important to note that other mutation rates may remain constant across a person's lifetime.
Furthermore, an individual's DNA repair mechanisms can become less effective with age, meaning that DNA mistakes can be more readily passed down to new cells. This could contribute to the development of age-related diseases such as cancer. Additionally, with ageing, there can be an increase in mitotic cell mistakes, which correlates to a higher chance of cancer.
Cancer, fundamentally, encompasses a plethora of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. Noninfectious cancers, which constitute approximately 90% of cancer cases, are influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with genetic predisposition being a significant factor in around 10% of cancers. Influential genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, for instance, substantially increase the risk of breast or ovarian cancer in women.