I believe that many people have seen the news report that "several members of a family have cancer at the same time", and many people's first reaction is genetics.
Ms. Liu, 48, went to the hospital for a long-term cough and a foreign body sensation in her throat, and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent surgery in time on the advice of her doctor.
Considering the characteristics of some family clusters of thyroid cancer, the doctor suggested that Ms. Liu's family be investigated, and Ms. Liu's younger brother and mother were also diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
A family of three was targeted by cancer at the same time, and such a result made the family unacceptable for a while, is this a genetic curse?
1. A family of three suffering from the same type of cancer, is it related to genetics?
Liu Fangzhou, chief physician of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery of Jiangsu Provincial Cancer Hospital, explained that the simultaneous development of thyroid cancer in a family of three is related to the familial density of the thyroid gland.
Epidemiological investigations have pointed out that the occurrence of thyroid cancer is related to heredity, and due to the influence of genetic defects, a family of three may be targeted by a certain type of cancer at the same time. In addition, due to the similar lifestyle of the family, thyroid cancer will also be familial clustered.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which followed 203691 subjects for 32 years, found that one-third of cancers were genetic. Also, genetically close identical twins are genetically affected and have a higher risk of developing the same cancer.
Zhang Kai, chief physician of the Cancer Prevention Department of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, reminded that in addition to genetics, cancer is also related to lifestyle, environment and other factors. Similar lifestyles and living environments will also lead to familial clustering of cancer, such as people in the same high-risk areas of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer, etc., the risk of cancer in the family will be high.
2. Family members with 6 types of cancer may be passed down from generation to generation
Xin Ying, chief physician of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said: Affected by genetics, some tumors will show familial hereditary, if there is a family member with these six cancers, we must pay attention!
1. Gastric cancer
5%-10% of gastric cancers are hereditary gastric cancers, especially diffuse gastric cancers, which have a high probability of heredity, and high-risk groups should be screened for regular physical examinations.
2. Liver cancer
Primary liver cancer tends to have a significant familial cluster, and children of liver cancer patients should have regular liver check-ups.
3. Breast cancer
Epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of developing breast cancer is tripled for one closely related breast cancer patient, and the risk of breast cancer is increased sevenfold for two closely related breast cancer patients.
4. Thyroid cancer
According to statistics, if there are three or more thyroid cancer patients in the first-degree family members, the hereditary probability will reach more than 94%.
5. Lung cancer
According to the survey, people who have lung cancer in their close relatives and smoke at the same time have a 14 times higher risk of developing lung cancer than the general population. If high-risk groups want to prevent lung cancer, they should quit smoking as soon as possible and stay away from secondhand smoke.
6. Bowel cancer
Colorectal cancer will appear familial, and it is recommended that people who have bowel cancer patients in their family should be screened for bowel cancer every year.
3. For people with a family history, doing three things can help prevent cancer
For those who have cancer patients in their families, how can they determine whether they are at high risk of cancer?
Zhang Kai, deputy director of the Cancer Prevention and Physical Examination Center of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, reminded that if one of the close relatives suffers from multiple cancers at the same time or multiple close relatives suffer from cancer, or if the close relatives suffer from rare cancer, and the age of the cancer relatives is under 30, the risk of cancer will be very high.
People with a family history of cancer should pay attention to the following points to prevent cancer!
1. Adhere to a healthy lifestyle
It is necessary to pay attention to a balanced diet, appropriate exercise, control the weight within the ideal range, quit smoking and alcohol as soon as possible, etc., so as to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and better prevent cancer.
2. Keep away from carcinogenic factors
People with a family history of cancer should try to stay away from carcinogenic factors, eat less moldy food, pickled food, smoked food, etc., and avoid exposure to some chemical carcinogens.
3. Pay attention to early screening
It can take 5-10 years for cancer to develop, and it is recommended that people with a family history of cancer should be screened regularly according to the doctor's instructions.
Some cancers may be familial clusters due to familial inheritance and similar lifestyles.
People with a family history of cancer should develop a healthy lifestyle, stay away from cancer-causing factors, and pay attention to early screening.
Resources:
[1] Is Cancer Contagious or Hereditary? These 5 cancers deserve attention". CCTV Life Circle.2024-02-25
[2] What kind of people are susceptible to cancer? Most can't escape these 5 characteristics. Health Times.2022-09-14
[3] "These 8 types of cancer are easy to inherit to the next generation!" People with a family history do a few things early. Life Times.2022-08-02
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