Recently, according to media reports, Hong Kong actor Liao Chun-hung died of stomach cancer at the age of 64. He once played the role of "Big Grain" in "The Heavenly Master's Throne", which made him well-known to the audience.
In addition, he has participated in many film and television dramas such as "The Legend of the Deer and Ding", "The Big Dipper", "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", "Genghis Khan", "Heaven and Earth Boys", etc., all of which have created classic roles.
Actor Liao Junxiong movie stills
Liu Chun-hung, born on August 20, 1960 in Hong Kong, China, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021. He has grown up with countless audiences, and now his death due to stomach cancer has also attracted everyone's attention to stomach cancer.
After the age of 50, people usher in the risk period of stomach cancer
According to the "Public Guidelines for Gastric Cancer Risk Management in the Chinese Population (2023 Edition)" issued by the Gastric Cancer Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, gastric cancer is rarely seen in people under the age of 50, and the incidence increases with age, reaching the highest in the age group of 55-80 years, twice that of men. ①
Xu Dazhi, chief physician of the Department of Gastric Surgery of Fudan University Cancer Hospital, also said in an article in the Health Times that the peak incidence of gastric cancer generally occurs after the age of 50, and cancer before the age of 40 is mostly hereditary. The younger the onset of gastric cancer, the greater the role of genetic factors; Conversely, the older the disease, the greater the role of environmental factors. ②
For the prevention of stomach cancer, the more effective measures are to reduce the impact of the environment, pay attention to dietary habits, and try to eat less or no high-oil, salt, pickled and overheated foods.
There are 5 signs from stomach problems to stomach cancer
As the saying goes, "nine out of ten people have stomach disease", how to tell if there is a development of stomach cancer? Zhang Shouru, deputy chief physician of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center of the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University, once reminded in an article in the Health Times that there are the following five signs of gastric disease turning into gastric cancer:
1. Changes in the nature of pain
Whether it is gastritis or gastric ulcer, abdominal pain at the onset of the disease has its own characteristics. For example, stomach ulcers are usually painful about an hour after eating, but once the pain becomes persistent and irregular, you should be alert to the occurrence of cancer.
Health Times Chart
2. A lump in the upper abdomen
Keep an eye out for the abdomen, and if you feel a hard, squeezing lump in the "heart socket" (the lower part of the breastbone), you need to pay attention. Otherwise, as the mass grows, it will affect the back, chest, and even behind the breastbone, resulting in increased discomfort.
3. Always heartburn pantothenic acid
The "heart socket" is like a fire burning, and there is a burning sensation. The stomach secretes gastric acid, and the esophagus is alkaline, when the acidic substance "runs" into the esophagus, it will corrode the esophageal mucosa, and in severe cases, it can form reflux esophagitis, esophageal ulcers or esophageal strictures or even cancer.
4. Sudden weight loss
It is normal for patients with stomach problems to have weakened digestion and are prone to symptoms such as loss of appetite, diarrhea, and fatigue. However, if the body undergoes a sharp malignant transformation in a short period of time, the weight is rapidly reduced, there is significant weight loss, and the condition cannot be alleviated by taking medicine, it may be a sign of cancer.
5. The stool is black in color
Certain foods, medications, or constipation can cause changes in the color of the stool, which can be traced, and if it is unexplained black stool, it indicates that the stomach ulcer is becoming cancerous and needs to be checked by the hospital for further diagnosis. ③
9 eating and drinking habits that lead to stomach cancer need to be changed
1. Eating too salty
Excessive salt intake can cause damage and atrophy of the gastric mucosa, increase the likelihood of genetic mutations, and increase the risk of gastric cancer. The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) recommends that adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day and reduce the intake of high-salt foods such as pickled vegetables and salted fish. ①
2. Eat pickles
Preserved foods made from meat, soy products, vegetables and fruits through pickling and fermentation are not only typical representatives of high-salt foods, but also produce class I carcinogens such as N-nitroso compounds, which can increase the risk of gastric cancer (1). The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022 also recommend eating less pickled and smoked foods and limiting the intake of highly processed meat products.
3. Eat barbecue often
Smoked poultry, livestock, fish, etc., are also typical representatives of high-salt foods. In addition, cooking processes such as barbecue and frying will destroy nutrients such as vitamins and proteins, and the combination of thermal polymerization reaction and protein produced by caramelization of food fat is also prone to produce high carcinogens such as benzopyrene. ①
Health Times Chart
4. Eating too hot
According to the "Gastrointestinal Tract" published by the Department of Gastroenterology of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, the mucous membrane of the human digestive tract is very delicate and can only tolerate food at 50-60 °C. If you often eat hot food, the mucosal damage has not been repaired and you are scalded, and repeated scalding and repair will cause mucosal changes and further develop into cancer. ④
5. Love red meat
Meat mainly includes livestock meat and poultry meat, and livestock meat is a general term for meats such as beef, pig, and mutton, also known as red meat. Poultry meat includes meats such as chicken, duck, goose, etc., also known as white meat.
Meat intake is closely related to the occurrence of gastric cancer, and excessive intake of red meat can significantly increase the risk of gastric cancer, while white meat has a certain protective effect on gastric cancer. ①
6. Eat delicately
Cereals are traditional staple foods and include rice, barley, wheat, millet, corn, sorghum, oats, and buckwheat. There was a significant association between cereal intake and gastric cancer risk. Eating large amounts of whole grains reduces the risk of stomach cancer, but it increases the risk of stomach cancer if you consume large amounts of refined grains. ①
7. Unclean diet
Careful tooth brushing, not washing hands before meals, and eating raw foods can lead to H. pylori infection. The International Institute of Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, has classified Helicobacter pylori as a class I carcinogen. If there is no Helicobacter pylori infection, at least a significant proportion of patients will not develop stomach cancer. ④
8. Smoking habits
Numerous studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of gastric cancer. The risk of stomach cancer caused by smoking is higher in men than in women. Therefore, it is recommended that the general public quit smoking to prevent the occurrence of gastric cancer. ①
9. Drink alcohol regularly
Alcohol can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and causing damage and bleeding to the gastric mucosa. Alcohol intake is strongly associated with the development of gastric cancer. The risk of gastric cancer increased significantly with the increase of alcohol consumption, and the effect of alcohol consumption on the risk of gastric cancer was especially obvious in the mainland population. ①
To prevent the occurrence of gastric cancer, it is necessary to overcome bad dietary habits and form a reasonable and scientific dietary structure. For example: eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, quit smoking, limit alcohol and salt, do not eat pickled and smoked foods, and develop good eating habits.
This article is synthesized from:
(1) Gastric Cancer Professional Committee of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, Gastrointestinal Surgeon Committee of Surgeon Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Chinese Population Health Risk Management Collaborative Group - Gastric Cancer Professional Group. Public Guidelines for the Risk Management of Gastric Cancer in the Chinese Population (2023 Edition)[J]. Chinese Medical Journal,2023,103(36):2837-2849.
(2)2019-12-27Health Times "After the age of 50 is a small peak of stomach cancer"
(3)2020-06-09Health Times "Signs of Stomach Disease to Stomach Cancer"
(4) 2022-11Southeast University Press