Longevity is something that everyone dreams of, from kings and lords to farmers, there is an unspeakable desire for longevity, but no one has ever been able to penetrate the mysteries of it from ancient times. Cancer, the same is a entangled human thousands of years of topics, in the current era of advanced science and technology, we still have no way to overcome this tenacious disease. In life, people’s habitual thinking will have such a deviation: under normal circumstances, one generation of family members suffering from cancer will influence the next few generations to suffer from cancer; if the elders die of cancer, the life expectancy of their children will also be affected to a certain extent. Is this really true?
Does cancer run in families? A team of experts has conducted relevant experiments, and their research has shown that even if cancer cells are implanted into another person’s body, they cannot survive. Although cancer cells can be very rampant in the patient’s body, invading around, attacking various vital organs, snatching vital nutrients, establishing a kingdom of cancer cells and threatening people’s lives, once they leave the internal environment of the original body, they are very fragile and difficult to survive.
Therefore, cancer is very powerful, but the fear of being infected with cancer is a bit unfounded, and it can be said with certainty that cancer patients cannot transmit cancer cells to healthy individuals. So far, there is no scientific evidence that directly proves that cancer can be transmitted through everyday lifestyle such as kissing, touching, sex, sharing utensils, etc.
Is cancer hereditary? Numerous studies have reported that there is a relationship between cancer and heredity, but it does not imply direct inheritance. This is because different tumors may have different modes of genetic transmission, and the role of genetic factors in the development of most tumors is a susceptibility or predisposition to cancer-causing factors. The term genetic susceptibility to cancer refers to the tendency of some individuals to be more susceptible to cancer in a population with the same living conditions. On the basis of certain hereditary characteristics, the formation of cancer also depends on the combined effects of many acquired factors such as mental factors, environmental factors, dietary factors and living habits, as well as external carcinogens.
People who know their family history of cancer should, on the one hand, realize that although they may have a cancerous body due to heredity, it does not mean that they have already suffered from cancer, and they should avoid unnecessary fear; on the other hand, they should pay more attention to the prevention of cancer, and strive for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.
The Truth About Familial Cancer In fact, the main reason for the familial aggregation of some cancers is not the contagiousness or genetic inheritance of the cancer cells themselves, but the contagiousness of the viruses or bacteria that can contribute to the formation of cancer as well as due to the common lifestyle. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites are all cancer-causing biological factors that are contagious. For example, Hepatitis B virus, Helicobacter pylori, and HIV are highly contagious, and these viruses or bacteria can contribute to the development of cancer. A few typical cancer infectious viruses are: hepatitis B virus → liver cancer; Helicobacter pylori → stomach cancer; human papillomavirus (HPV) → cervical cancer; and EBV (human herpesvirus type 4) → nasopharyngeal cancer. In addition to viruses or bacteria, they may also be associated with a common lifestyle, such as long-term intake of preserved foods, which is associated with stomach and liver cancer.
This explains why some cancers “cluster” in families – it is related to the cancer-causing factors in the family and the lifestyle of the group. However, even if there is a clustering of cancers in a particular family, it is an extremely rare phenomenon, and there is no global or national statistical data to prove that there is a clustering of cancers in families.
Physiological differences in the life expectancy of cancer patients First of all, the site of cancer greatly affects the life expectancy of cancer patients. Categorized according to the site of occurrence of cancer cells, it can be roughly classified into three types: primary cancer, multifaceted cancer, and secondary cancer. Due to their respective characteristics, the risk level of the three types of cancers increases sequentially. In particular, secondary cancers can spread from the localization point of the tumor to all parts of the body, leading to rapid deterioration of the condition and drastically shortening the life expectancy of the patient.
Secondly, human tumors can be divided into benign and malignant. Therefore, the key to the long or short survival period of cancer patients lies in two aspects: firstly, the influence of tumor malignancy and growth rate, and secondly, the convenience of treatment or not. Most of the early stage cancers have a long survival period compared with the late stage cancers, such as early stage lung cancer, early stage stomach cancer, early stage colorectal cancer. In addition, when comparing malignant tumors such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer and lung cancer, liver cancer, etc., there is also a huge difference in their life span in general.
Finally, the early or late detection time of cancer tumors is also a major factor affecting the subsequent life span of patients. For most of the patients, after slight discomfort, they prefer to simply prescribe a medicine, usually do not think about cancer, think that their health has always been very good and refuse to do further examination, and some patients do not go to hospitals and clinics, and according to their personal experience, they go to the pharmacy to take some medicines for self-treatment, which often misses the best diagnosis and treatment time and then puts them in jail.
How to deal with family history of cancer? When we find that there is an aggregation of cancer in the family or a potential risk of cancer, we should treat it scientifically and target at preventing familial cancer. For example, to prevent esophageal cancer, it is recommended to avoid consuming too hot food in daily life, so as to avoid repeated irritation of the esophageal mucosa caused by too hot food; to prevent liver cancer, it is recommended to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption, eat a healthy diet, avoid staying up late and maintain regular work and rest patterns, as well as keep a good mood, and so on.
Overall, cancer prevention is a very big topic, different types of cancer, prevention methods are also different, it is still recommended to develop good habits of annual physical examination to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of cancer.
In conclusion cancer has always been defined as a terminal disease, and although there are many treatments available that can extend the life expectancy of a cancer patient significantly, the inherent perception is difficult to be altered. If diagnosed with cancer, most people’s mindset changes negatively, and a negative mindset can lead to symptoms such as loss of appetite and sleep disorders, which can further lead to a decrease in immune function. The treatment of cancer is extremely related to immune function. In fact, the treatment of most diseases, not only cancer, is related to the immune function of our organism. Therefore, no matter what kind of result occurs, we must face it with a good mindset. It may be difficult, but things happen, don’t they?
I hope everyone will love their bodies, not to overdraw their bodies, and work and live healthily and happily!