In the impression of everyone, men seem to be stronger and more powerful than women. However, the reality is that men not only have a shorter average life expectancy than women, but also have a generally worse level of health, and are more likely to develop cancer than women!
According to statistics, there were 4.57 million new cancer cases in China in 2020, of which about 400,000 more men than women; There were 3 million new cancer deaths, of which about 640,000 more men than women. What's going on here?
Why is cancer "patriarchal"?
Men are more likely to get cancer, not only domestically, but globally. According to the current research results, the reasons can be mainly attributed to two points: congenital lack of strength, acquired lack of effort.
1. Ingenitally ineffective
A study published in Cancer showed that differences in cancer incidence between men and women may be due to physiological, genetic or immune causes. Compared to women, men have weaker innate and acquired immunity, so they are more susceptible to cancer.
2. Not working hard the day after tomorrow
Men tend to have a more negative attitude toward health and disease than women. Due to neglect of their own health, many men have long-term bad life and eating habits, such as day and night reversal, tobacco and alcohol addiction, etc., and do not actively seek medical treatment after illness, dragging small symptoms into cancer.
What cancers are men prone to? Who needs to go to the hospital for screening?
1. Lung cancer
【Risk factors】
Long-term smoking, environmental pollution, etc.
【High-risk groups】
People aged 50-74 who meet at least one of the following criteria:
Number of years of smoking≥ 30 packs or years of smoking but quitting smoking
>
Passive smoking ≥ 20 years of living or working with a person with condition 1;
Have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
a history of occupational exposure for at least 1 year, including exposure to asbestos, radon, beryllium, chromium, cadmium, silicon, soot, and soot;
A first-degree relative was diagnosed with lung cancer.
【Screening methods】
Low-dose spiral CT.
2. Prostate cancer
【Risk factors】
Family history, BRCA2 gene mutation.
【High-risk groups】
Non-selective large-scale tissue screening for prostate cancer is not recommended, and for men with a life expectancy of more than 10 years who meet one of the following conditions, the decision to do prostate cancer screening can be combined with specialist advice:
≥ 60 years old;
≥ 45 years old with a family history of prostate cancer;
Carries a BRCA2 gene mutation and is ≥ 40 years old.
【Screening methods】
Digital rectal examination, PSA screening.
3. Stomach cancer
【Risk factors】
Helicobacter pylori infection, long-term high-salt diet, frequent intake of pickled, smoked, fried foods, red and processed meat, smoking, alcohol consumption, family history of stomach cancer in first-degree relatives.
【High-risk groups】
People aged 45 and above who meet any of the following conditions are at high risk of gastric cancer:
Long-term residence in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer;
Helicobacter pylori infection;
Previous gastric precancerous diseases such as chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps, gastric residual stomach after surgery, hypertrophic gastritis, and pernicious anemia;
A first-degree relative with a history of stomach cancer;
Other risk factors for gastric cancer (high salt, pickled diet, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, etc.) are present.
【Screening methods】
Gastroscopy, CT examination, tumor cell marker detection.
4. Liver cancer
【Risk factors】
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, alcoholic liver disease, metabolism-related fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, dietary exposure to aflatoxin.
【High-risk groups】
Patients with cirrhosis caused by alcoholic liver disease and metabolism-related fatty liver disease;
Hepatitis B virus infection and/or chronic HCV infection and age ≥ 40 years.
【Screening methods】
US combined with AFP detection, CT and magnetic resonance imaging.
Cancer is actually controllable and preventable, don't "pay" for it
Cancer was once synonymous with terminal illness. Today, with the high development of medicine, cancer is becoming a preventable and controllable chronic disease.
Chen Senqing, director of the molecular biology research office of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, said that 70%-80% of malignant tumors originate from environmental factors and lifestyle, and 20% are related to individual genetic factors, so from this point of view, cancer can be prevented.
If you want to reduce your risk of cancer, it is recommended to avoid contact with carcinogens as much as possible in daily life, especially first-class carcinogens (Note: first-level carcinogens refer to those who have sufficient evidence to have carcinogenic effects on the human body).
The following "carcinogen list" mainly contains carcinogens that are closest to our lives and often appear around us, it is recommended to avoid them as much as possible, but don't pay for cancer!
List of carcinogens
1. Food
Tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, benzopyrene (higher in barbecue, smoked meat), salted fish, ham, bacon and other processed foods, preserved foods.
2. Viruses
Aflatoxin, Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, HIV.
3. Environment
Benzene, formaldehyde, dust (all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing minerals, wood dust, leather dust, underground hematite mining, crystalline silica dust in the form of quartz or ashlar quartz, etc.).
Resources:
[1] HE Jie, LI Ni, CHEN Wanqing, et al. Guidelines for screening and early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in China(2021,Beijing)[J].Chinese Oncology,2021,30(02):81-111.)
[2] HE J, CHEN Wanqing, LI Ni, et al. Guidelines for prostate cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment in China(2022,Beijing)[J].Chinese Oncology,2022,31(01):1-30.)
[3] HE Jie, CHEN Wanqing, LI Zhaoshen, et al. Guidelines for gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment in China(2022,Beijing)[J].Chinese Oncology,2022,31(07):488-527.)
[4] HE Jie, CHEN Wanqing, SHEN Hongbing, et al. Guidelines for screening liver cancer in Chinese group(2022,Beijing)[J].Chinese Oncology,2022,31(08):587-631.)
[5] https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34390