It may take five years or more before the cancer reappears if not all the cells were killed. Recent research findings have suggested that a particular enzyme, telomerase, which is produced by cancer cells, is what prevents cancer cells from eventually dying like normal cells do. Theoretically, if a drug therapy can be developed to inhibit the production of telomerase, then cancer cells would eventually die out on there own. It should be understood, however, that these research findings have yet to be substantiated. Additional research is necessary to confirm these findings.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart attack.
There are a number of circumstances that predispose one to cancer. As the graphic points out, food and tobacco make up the majority of the risk factors. It should be assumed that if one addresses these risk factors in their day to day living, the risk of developing cancer is reduced significantly. There are several types of cancer possible in the human body. It also lists cancer deaths by site and sex.