Two thirds of cancer cases are caused by "random mutations" in cells, according to a study from Johns Hopkins.

Scientists at John Hopkins University School of Medicine studied 31 cancers and found, statistically speaking, that just nine cancer types had to do with more than bad luck.

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“This study shows that you can add to your risk of getting cancers by smoking or other poor lifestyle factors. However, many forms of cancer are due largely to the bad luck of acquiring a mutation in a cancer driver gene regardless of lifestyle and heredity factors. The best way to eradicate these cancers will be through early detection, when they are still curable by surgery,” said Bert Vogelstein, M.D., an oncology professor involved in the study.

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Take a Halloween Hike at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Friday through Sunday and meet animals along the way. (Courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center

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Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC