There has been a great amount of research performed on how pH levels affect cancer cells within the body. According to the American Cancer Society, the interests of how cancer is affected by the pH levels within the body came about from the observation that in regions of the world where a high concentration of alkali metals were found in the soil, there were also low rates of cancer. Since this discovery, much evidence has shown there to be a link between the pH level of a person's body and the development of cancer. It seems as though cancer is able to thrive in an acidic environment and has trouble surviving in a more alkaline based environment.