Could someone survive if all the DNA inside his cells got damaged? For how long?

I did some quick research on DNA and I know it can be damaged by different sorts of mutagens. I also know that this kind of damage can lead to cancer. Though I'm not entirely sure of where exactly it can happen, it seems to me that it could happen to any kind of cell.

It also contains instructions for the development and overall functions the the said cell. Knowing that, if, supposedly, someone got this kind of damage on ALL of his cells, at the same time, assuming it could range from a slight damage to a great mess-up randomly, could he survive for some time while his body goes from healthy to wtf?

I'm thinking about a disaster kind of thing, likely involving electromagnetic radiation. But that's not really the focus of the question.

I know different kind of cells have a different turnover times, but I don't know how exactly would this affect their body, given a time X. I also don't know how it would affect the current cells of this human being.

Just to be more clear, the goal of this is to figure out how fast would someone die if something messed up his entire genetic code simultaneously. Would he be able to survive at least a month? A year, depending on what changed on his genes?

What would be the effects? I think this would be the equivalent of having cancer on all one's cells, am I correct?

Oh, I'm also assuming he could get the best kind of treatment there is on earth. That could include experimental types of treatments that, despite not being globally or comercially used nowadays, could potentially help him get through his diseases. Take nowadays as 2015, just for reference.

posted over 9 years ago

Conrad Clark‭

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