Unrepaired DNA damage, particularly double-stranded breaks, can lead to mutations, cellular dysfunction, and potentially cancer over decades.

“this damage can cause double stranded breaks in DNA and um this can lead if it's not repaired can lead to um usually if it is repaired that will make a happy cell so your cell will not be damaged because you repair that but if the damage is not repaired this can lead to potentially mutations and these mutations in your DNA depending on where they're at can cause dysfunction of a cell it'll lead to an unhappy cell which can then depending on where these mutations occur can lead to cancer”