We sometimes hear news such as "a family has had cancer one after another" and "there are several cancer patients in a family", and whenever we see these news, we can't help but mutter:
Is cancer contagious? Or is cancer hereditary? Or is there really a "short-lived gene" in the world, and people who are targeted by this gene are destined to not live long?
Scientists have discovered the "short-lived gene", 1 out of every 25 people are hit!
At the end of last year, a study published in the New England Journal (NEJM) showed that the proportion of "short-lived genes" in Icelandic people is as high as 4%, which means that 1 in 25 Icelanders carry "short-lived genes", and their lifespans are destined to be shorter than others.
The study is mainly based on the recommendations published by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) in May 2021. At that time, the report revealed 73 pathogenic or probable pathogenic genetic mutations (referred to as "operable genotypes") associated with cardiovascular, cancer, and metabolic diseases.
The study found that of 57,933 participants, 2,306 (about 4%) carried at least one operable genotype, and 10% of operable genotype carriers died before the age of 69.
Among them, cancer-related genes have a greater impact on longevity, and the median survival of the operable genotype carriers of the cancer disease genome is 3 years shorter than that of non-carriers. In addition, the study identified evidence of association between seven genes and corresponding diseases, including four genes associated with cancer: BRCA2, BRCA1, PALB1 and MSH6.
In particular, the BRCA2 gene is most strongly associated with breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.
From this, we can see that congenital genes have a great impact on the incidence of a variety of diseases, especially all kinds of cancers, especially the following cancers, which are more susceptible to the influence of congenital genes, and we should pay special attention to them.
6 types of cancer are closely related to genes, so be careful!
(1) Breast adenocarcinoma
Breast cancer has a clear genetic predisposition, especially between first-degree relatives. Typically, the risk of breast cancer is 2-3 times higher for a mother and a daughter than for other women, especially if there are carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the family.
Suggestion: If you have a family history of breast cancer, it is best to complete the breast health examination around the age of 30, and after the age of 35, it is best to complete the mammography, and if you find suspicious symptoms, it is best to complete the endoscopic ultrasound.
(2) Ovarian cancer
Similar to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is susceptible to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Recommendation: 30-35 years old can start relevant screening, such as CA-125 test.
(3) Lung cancer
Clinical studies have shown that germline mutations in lung cancer genes are genetically related, such as the presence of germline mutations such as EGFR, RET and BRCA in vivo, and the genes responsible for activating ROS1 and RET cell enzymes may cause the occurrence of lung cancer.
Recommendation: If you have a family history of lung cancer, especially if you are a long-term smoker, it is recommended to complete a low-dose chest CT or chest X-ray as part of your physical examination.
(4) Colorectal cancer
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a genetic disorder that will almost certainly develop into colorectal cancer if left untreated. About 15% of patients diagnosed with bowel cancer are related to genetic factors.
Suggestion: People with a family history of colorectal cancer should have preventive screening from the age of 40, it is recommended to do fecal occult blood test 1-2 times a year, if necessary, it can be combined with colonoscopy, in addition, we should pay attention to a healthy diet and try to avoid eating high-salt and high-oil foods.
(5) Liver cancer
If a family member, especially a parent, is diagnosed with liver cancer, the child should be on high alert. This is because the vertical transmission of the hepatitis B virus can easily lead to familial clustering of liver cancer, and some data show that 85-90% of liver cancer in mainland China comes from hepatitis B. In particular, mothers who carry the hepatitis B virus tend to have a higher risk of developing liver cancer in their offspring.
Suggestion: If there is a liver cancer patient in the family, if his child has viral hepatitis, it is best to have liver ultrasound and AFP every six months. If you notice symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and right subcostal pain, you should seek medical attention in time. It is best to eat less or no sprouted food, fermented sauerkraut, tofu and other moldy foods, fried foods, not to mention alcohol, and do not use medicines and health products.
(6) Gastric cancer
Clinically, about 5-10% of gastric cancer patients have familial clustering, and 1-3% have a genetic predisposition, especially some people who carry the CDH1 gene, and the risk of developing diffuse gastric cancer is as high as 80%!
It should be noted that if at least two people in one or two generations of the family have stomach cancer, and one of them is less than 50 years old at the time of the disease, and all patients are diffuse, then it is very likely to be hereditary stomach cancer!
Suggestion: Such people must pay attention to their eating habits and health, and seek medical attention in time if they often have unexplained epigastric pain, stomach distention, gastric acid and unexplained weight loss. After the age of 40, it is best to have a regular gastroscopy.
How can people who carry cancer genes prevent cancer from occurring?
Although carrying oncogenes does not necessarily mean that cancer will develop, it does increase the risk of cancer. This requires people who carry cancer genes to take precautions.
(1) Determine your own risk of cancer
This is mainly divided into three aspects, firstly, to see if one of the close relatives has multiple cancers, or to see if there are multiple close relatives with cancer, secondly, to see if the close relatives have rare cancers, such as male breast cancer, and finally, to see age, such as whether there are close relatives in the family who have cancer under the age of 30.
Of course, genetic testing can also be done to help determine whether an oncogene mutation is carried to help families and individuals develop appropriate cancer prevention plans.
(2) Regular screening
The appearance of cancer does not happen overnight, in a sense, cancer is a "chronic disease", usually it takes 5-20 years from the onset to the advanced stage. This is enough time for us to consult with our doctor about the genetic characteristics of cancer in our family and to get regular screenings.
(3) Reduce carcinogenic factors
For example, get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B as soon as possible, reduce exposure to aflatoxin in moldy foods, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked foods, nitrites in pickled foods, etc., and avoid exposure to cancer-related carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, harmful chemicals and radioactive substances.
(4) Close monitoring
It is also important that people who carry oncogenes themselves should closely monitor their physical changes.
Although carrying oncogenes is more likely to develop cancer than ordinary people, this is not absolute, as long as we do a good job of prevention and monitoring, the risk of cancer can be minimized.