Modern life is Rubbish

I wonder about the research, reported in the Telegraph, that claims that modern life causes cancer, as it was virtually unknown in Ancient Egypt.

I mean, obviously we know some things in modern life have this effect - smoking's effect, for example, or the case of 19th century chimney sweeps, or the effects of asbestos. But there seems one vital  aspect they seem to be swept under the carpet slightly - the effect of age.

The reporters say that there is evidence of age-related diseases such as hardening of the arteries, but then they also admit that the average life expectancy of the mummies varied from 25 to 50. Yet average onset of prostate cancer, for example, is 70. Onset of breast cancer is generally over 40, and the average about 60. Which says to me that they may be right - that modernity and the chemicals that go with it may increase the incidence of cancers - but that 1000 mummies aged roughly up to 50 isn't a brilliant group to make this pronouncement on.

None of which, of course, changes the key message - that cancer is something we can and must do a great deal about - but the question is whether that "something" is weighted towards preventing the causes, or healing the disease.