In 2016, U.S. Scientists published a paper on < < Tumor Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention > >. The main conclusions are as follows:
After more than 60 years of follow-up research, it has been found that in the same area, there are obvious differences in cancer between the poor and the rich.
It turns out that besides people being poor and rich, cancer is also divided into [poor cancer] and [rich cancer]?
The poor and rich of cancer is a rough term.
Let’s go back to the previous research.
Scientists involved in the study found that people who are relatively poor in childhood are prone to cervical cancer, but are not prone to breast cancer, prostate cancer and malignant melanoma.
In fact, American scientists also did a study in 2009, and the results found that:
- The risk of lung cancer for men and women with a high school education or below is 3.01 times and 2.02 times higher than that for men and women with a high school education or above respectively. People with an annual household income of less than $12,500 are 1.7 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those with an annual household income of more than $50,000. At the same time, low-income people are at higher risk of developing [advanced breast cancer] [advanced prostate cancer].
After in-depth analysis, scientists believe that the gap between the rich and the poor is only a superficial phenomenon, and the difference in lifestyle between the two groups of people may be the essential reason for this phenomenon.
Then the question arises, which are [poor cancers]? Which are [cancer-rich]?
Which are [poor cancers]?
First of all, it is a simplified statement that we attribute the causes of some cancers that [favor the poor] to [poverty]. The actual causes are definitely much more complicated than this.
For the convenience of everyone’s understanding, here are a few examples of [poor cancer].
1. Gastric cancer
Gastric cancer can be said to be a cancer whose risk is related to economic level.
Let’s take the United States as an example. In the past 30 years, the incidence rate of gastric cancer in the United States has been basically declining, while the incidence rate in some developing countries in Asia (such as China) has not been low, especially in the northwest regions of China, such as Gansu and Qinghai, which have the highest incidence rate of gastric cancer, and these regions are also regions with relatively poor economic level.
The reason is probably a series of living gaps brought about by economic level, such as medical conditions, public health conditions (high degree of standardization, less food pollution), food preservation conditions (widespread use of refrigerators), etc.
However, it cannot be said that the incidence rate of gastric cancer is low when the economic level is high. For example, Japan has the highest incidence rate of gastric cancer in the world. The eating habits of high salt and high sodium are considered to be the main reason. However, with the development of economy, gastric cancer is easier to be detected and the number will naturally increase.
In addition, Helicobacter pylori infection is also a factor related to gastric cancer. In areas with poor economic conditions, people infected with Helicobacter pylori may not be aware of examination, which has also become a potential factor causing gastric cancer.
2. Lung cancer
The smoking rate of the poor is much higher than that of the rich, thus leading to the poor being more likely to develop lung cancer and die of lung cancer than the rich.
This difference exists not only between the rich and the poor, but also between developing and developed countries.
Comparing the United States with China, the United States experienced a high incidence of lung cancer in the early 1990s. Since then, the incidence rate of lung cancer has decreased year by year, while the incidence rate of lung cancer in China has been rising continuously and has now surpassed that in the United States. This has much to do with better tobacco control measures in developed countries.
3. Cervical cancer
The poor are more likely to get cervical cancer, which may be a special reason.
Because cervical cancer screening is different from breast cancer and prostate cancer screening, the former screening is mainly to find precancerous lesions, while the latter screening is mainly to find early canceration.
Therefore, the regular screening of cervical cancer by the rich is to find more [cervical precancerous lesions]. If reasonable treatment can be carried out at an early stage, the chances of developing cervical cancer will be small.
Which are [cancer-rich]?
1. Breast cancer, prostate cancer
Regular cancer screening enables more rich people to detect breast cancer and prostate cancer.
On the contrary, even if the poor suffer from cancer, they have not been found, and it seems that it is not easy to get these two kinds of cancers.
However, once the poor find breast cancer and prostate cancer, most of them are advanced.
Therefore, although it is easy for the rich to get it on the surface, in fact, more of these cancers are discovered at an early stage.
2. Colorectal cancer
The etiology of colorectal cancer, like other cancers, is complex, diverse and unclear, but one of the possible factors known at present is a long-term high-fat and low-cellulose diet.
This is the same as the eating habits of people in more developed areas today.
2. Skin cancer, melanoma
The specific reason for the high incidence of melanoma among the rich is not clear, but it may be related to the fact that the rich have more time and opportunities to sunbathe. After all, ultraviolet rays are a very clear carcinogenic factor.
A special trip to the sun increases the chance of exposure to ultraviolet rays, and the chance of suffering from melanoma and skin cancer may also increase.
Perhaps careful people have also discovered that people who bask in the sun may also be people with low incomes, such as some farmers who work hard in the fields. They also spend a long time in the sun every day and are also at high risk of skin cancer.
For common [poor cancer], such as gastric cancer and lung cancer, our prevention focus can be roughly summarized into three words: early treatment, vaccination and tobacco control.
Early treatment refers to timely treatment of gastric ulcer, chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection and other issues; Vaccination refers to vaccination of hepatitis B vaccine to prevent hepatitis B; As for smoking control (quitting smoking) can prevent lung cancer, we all know this.
For common [cancer-rich], such as breast cancer and colon cancer, our prevention focus is one: do a good job in physical examination and cancer screening.
In the final analysis, I hope everyone will care about the physical condition of themselves and their family members, understand their cancer risks, and make appropriate choices together with doctors.
As we said at the beginning, the words “poor cancer” and “rich cancer” are simplified for everyone to understand.
The actual cause of cancer is the result of a combination of many factors. In addition to external factors such as the gap between the rich and the poor and the natural environment, internal factors such as personal lifestyle, eating habits and family heredity also affect the occurrence of cancer.
In short, external factors cannot be changed in a day or two, but a healthy lifestyle can be achieved by both the poor and the rich. Why not?