“My family is cursed!”

In 1895, a young American seamstress pulled the doctor and cried tearfully, that her family had suffered With the curse, generations have died of cancer.

From her great-grandfather, cancer has come to this unfortunate family one after another. The great-grandfather died of cancer, and the great-grandfather had 9 children under his lap, 6 of them Killed by cancer. The young seamstress was terrified that she would also get cancer.

However, the fate is still playing out again, the seamstress is finally young Died of metastatic endometrial cancer. Out of sympathy for the seamstress, this “magic” also caught the attention of the doctor, who collected all the cancer records in the family (48 people had cancer, 17 died of cancer or had surgery for cancer), Then a paper was published.

The paper caused a stir in the medical community at the time, and the unfortunate family was named “G Family”, the doctor who later became known as the “Father of Cancer Genetics” span>Dr. Warthin. Now more than 100 years have passed, and the curse of the G family still seems to have not been broken. In 2000, the total population of the G family reached 929, 115 people were diagnosed with cancer, and the average life expectancy was only 45 years old.

From the story of the G family, it is not difficult to see that cancer and heredity are closely related. At present, many people think that cancer is brought about by genes, and there is no way to hide it. Is there much connection between cancer and genes?

First, new research: only 5% of cancers are genetic, environmental and metabolic factors are more important

In the past few centuries, all the The causes of cancer can be summarized into three categories in theory: the first category hereditary diseases, which are mainly caused by genes. The second category Environmental diseases, which are exposures, are mainly related to things that are in contact with the body. The third category metabolic diseases belongs to the metabolome, which is the chemical product produced in the process of metabolism.

A recent study by Canadian researchers in Metabolites Data show that hereditary cancers account for 5%-10% of all cancers, and 90%-95% of cancers are caused by exposure to things around them< span>, these factors in turn lead to mutations in genes. David Wishart, professor of biological sciences and computer science at the University of Alberta, said that cancer can be Inherited, but not possible by mutation alone. Cancer cells spread and develop in the body, they can create a suitable environment for their own development in the body, and introduce certain metabolites, and then become self-growth.

Parents and elders suffer from cancer and carry cancer genes, and their children may not have cancer. Wang Ning, deputy director of the Beijing Cancer Prevention and Research Office, said that cancer is a chronic, non-communicable disease. Most cancers are not caused by genetics, but are caused by smoking and drinking. , infectious diseases, and radiation.

In general, we should pay more attention to the external risk factors of cancer than the problem of cancer heredity. For example, in some families, it is easy to have a common cancer environment. .

Second, easily overlooked causes of cancer in families – the environment

1. Common bad eating habits

If some people in the family like to eat bacon and pickled vegetables, it will lead to the formation of family eating habits and structure, long-term consumption of these foods, can cause cancer of the digestive tract. In addition, if you often eat moldy or spoiled food, it will also lead to an increased risk of liver cancer and stomach cancer.

2., Household Air Pollution

Family living in a relatively small environment If there is a certain carcinogenic substance in the room, such as oil fume, or someone smoking, coupled with poor ventilation conditions, the family breathes polluted air for a long time, which becomes the cause of common cancer in the family.

Third, focus: family members have these cancers, please be careful

《2020 WorldAccording to the Cancer Report, about one-sixth of all global deaths each year are due to cancer. Although the pathogenesis of cancer is not fully understood, there are many cancers that have been shown to be genetically related, so you should be careful if someone in your family has the following five cancers.

1. Ovarian cancer

About 20%-25% of ovarian cancer and hereditary is relevant. A family history ofbreast, colorectal, and ovarian canceris associated with a greater than average risk of ovarian cancer in women in the family be high.

2. Colorectal cancer

If a parent is due to Familial colon polypscause colorectal cancer, and children are 50% more likely to develop colorectal cancer.

3. Gastric cancer

Gastric cancer has obvious familial aggregation and history of gastric cancer in immediate family is a risk factor for gastric cancer. People with a family history of gastric cancer are 2-3 times more likely to develop gastric cancer than the general population.

4, liver cancer

Liver cancer is familial and may develop before the child is born due tomother-to-child transmission span>Hepatitis B, if the parents are found to have liver cancer, then the children should pay attention.

5. Breast cancer

About 5%-10% of breast cancer and Genetically related. If a mother or brother or sister in the family has breast cancer, the daughter or sister is about three times more likely to develop breast cancer than others.

Fourth, please keep your anti-cancer prescriptions

Cancer is not impossible to prevent! Academician Sun Yan of the Chinese Academy of Engineeringis a well-known expert in cancer prevention and treatment in my country. At the age of three, he has shared the general “anti-cancer prescription” many times, and Xiao Ai has sorted out the key points and shared them with everyone.

1. Control diet

high calorie, high fatAnd foods with high sugar content have always been loved by everyone. As everyone knows, these foods also suit the appetite of “tumor gentlemen”. Obesity has now developed into a social problem. Obesity puts your internal organs under far more pressure than the original. Once the organs cannot bear it, the body will resist and induce diseases, including cancer. So, keep your mouth shut, eat seventy percent full, and develop good eating habits.

2. Non-smoking

Smoking is the primary risk factor for lung cancer. The more smokers, the more innocent “second-hand smoke” lung cancer patients. Smoking is no less harmful than traffic accidents, and we need to control smoking like drinking and driving.

3. Don’t stay up late

One of the best ways to prevent cancer is to ensure regular and adequate sleep.Adults need about 7-8 hours of sleep a day, it’s time to sleep or not, and sleep deprivation is severe, the most affected is the immune system, followed by the digestive system and mental activity, and finally the cardiovascular, endocrine, liver and kidney functions.

4. Less angry

Long-term negative emotions can lead to stress reactions in the human body. Too strong a stress response will reduce the body’s immunity, allowing cancer cells to take advantage. Because the pace of life is accelerating now, everyone is burdened with different pressures.It is recommended not to be angry, to be a “heartless” person , only a happy spirit can have a healthy body.

5. Regular physical examination

If you are a high-risk group of tumors, you must have regular physical examinations. If there is a problem, it is also in the early stage, and active treatment can be effectively controlled. Physical examinations can give us a clear picture of our physical condition, and can alsodetect early-stage cancers and precancerous lesions. Precancerous lesions are not cancers, but they are prone to cancerous changes on this basis. As long as precancerous lesions and early cancer are controlled, the incidence and mortality of cancer can be greatly reduced.

Although cancer is said to be related to heredity,but this association is not 100%! Regardless of whether you have a family history of cancer, adopting a healthy lifestyle in your daily life and sticking to physical examinations can help reduce your risk of cancer.

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