However, cancer is a disease caused by mutation. Does this mean that cancer is inescapable for all humans if we simply live long enough?

Question

Genetic mutation is what leads to the mechanism of natural selection, and thus contributes directly to evolution, a necessary and useful process. The crossing over and randomization at fertilization also increases variation. Without the variation that results from mutations, natural selection would not occur, thus proving that genetic mutations are beneficial and crucial for life. However, cancer is a disease caused by mutation. Does this mean that cancer is inescapable for all humans if we simply live long enough?

Answer 1

Almost certainly yes. That's the true for all the prophecies without the given time constrain.

On the other hand, keep in mind another fact. You have just developed cancer as one cell just mutated in your body while you are reading this. Don't worry, by the end of this sentence your immune system will get rid of that and you will be perfectly fine.

For some types of cancer, one needs to have several mutations. Just as in cars. Between the perfect state and non-functioning state, there are many in between. Some 50 years ago, according to this hypothesis, the answer to your question was definitely YES!

Up until recently, let's say 5 or 10 years ago, there were no methods like microarrays or single cell gene expression. Now we can generate incredible amount of data but still have no clear idea what to do with those data.

If you are asking me, un-officially, thus my own intuition, I don't have data for that (nobody does), I would tell you now that it's very probable but not inevitable.