Why do people get cancer? Who are at high risk of cancer? An article to give you popular science!
Under normal circumstances, cell division, development and death are all under the same regulation of genes. They are like a set program, and they go through their life according to a certain speed and process. This process is also the process of human growth and development, maintenance of life, and aging.
Once the DNA of cells mutates, they are no longer controlled by the cell regulation and differentiation mechanism , but start to divide and live forever, and they can escape the pursuit of the immune system and proliferate excessively in a certain place, which will lead to the appearance of tumors. In clinical practice in China, tumors are mainly divided into two categories, namely benign tumors and malignant tumors.
Although the so-called benign tumors are the product of cell DNA mutation, the ability of these mutant cells is very limited. They only form small xenobiotics in the primary tumor, but they do not have the ability to metastasize, infiltrate, invade and destroy . Such as polyps, uterine fibroids , etc., are typical benign tumors, and the treatment is relatively simple.
But malignant tumors are not the same, it is commonly known as "cancer" . These cells not only have the ability to proliferate, but they can also metastasize to other organs and tissues of the body through multiple mechanisms, and even the bones of patients may be invaded by cancer cells.
After that, cancer cells will also produce destructive power and consume the patient's body. Once the patient is not actively controlled and enters the terminal stage, he will eventually die of organ failure and serious complications.
So the question is, why do people get cancer, and who are the high-risk groups of cancer?
In fact, everyone has a 20% chance of developing cancer in their lifetime. Because human cells are constantly dividing and metabolizing, it is inevitable that there will be 1-2 gene replication errors . Usually, the vast majority of cells that replicate incorrectly are detected by the immune system and eliminated in time. And there are proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in the human body, which are in a state of balance;
However, if the human body is affected by carcinogenesis, causing the ability of proto-oncogenes to become larger and larger, and tumor suppressor genes to become weaker, the balance will be completely broken, and cell DNA will mutate and begin to proliferate wildly. . They can escape the control of the immune system and begin to develop rapidly, developing carcinomas in situ, invasive carcinomas, and metastatic carcinomas.
As for carcinogenic factors, so far the clinical is still not completely clear, just found many reasons related to cancer. From a clinical point of view, the following groups of people are at high risk of cancer:
1. Have a family history of cancer
At least 2 people in 2 generations of the family have the same cancer, or an immediate family member has been diagnosed with cancer. From a clinical point of view , breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, etc. all have a certain tendency to familial aggregation;
2. History of chronic diseases
Because chronic diseases are prone to trigger cellular inflammatory responses, reduce the patient's immune function, and the repeated effects of chronic diseases on organs often increase the chance of cell DNA mutation. From a clinical point of view, people with chronic liver disease, chronic stomach disease (atrophic gastritis combined with atypical hyperplasia), chronic cervicitis, adenomatous polyposis, etc., should be vigilant;
3. Those with bad habits
Such as long-term smoking, long-term alcoholism, chewing betel nut, long-term sedentary and so on. In addition, if there are unhealthy eating habits, such as frequent eating of hot food, smoked barbecue food, fried food, pickled food and processed meat , etc., the risk of developing digestive tract cancer in the later stage is relatively high;
4. People over 50 years old
Because although many cancers are showing a trend of younger people, clinically, most of the cancers are still in the middle-aged and the elderly as a high-risk group, because it takes a long time from the action of carcinogens to the appearance of cancer , and cancer It also takes time to develop itself . Therefore, people over 50 years old are at high risk of cancer.
Of course, high-risk groups are not directly equated with cancer. You must know that cancer is the result of a combination of factors. Everyone’s age, exposure to carcinogens, and living environment are different, so the cancer rate cannot be In general terms. However, after all, there are risks, so it is necessary for this group of people to carry out relevant inspections regularly.