Why is that?

Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Cancer Risk.

Without a doubt, this NYT article summarizes an interesting and very, very important finding. However, without a robust understanding of why this is true, it's hard to really associate one with the other. I think this is the problem with most things in sleep, including the general (major) problem of sleep deprivation. Since we still seem to be a distance away from fully understanding the "why" underlying the short- and long-term effects of sleep deprivation, it's relatively easy for people to dismiss it as trivial issue - and instead, treat it as an issue of will power.