If one generation of a family suffers from cancer, will it affect the next few generations? Is cancer contagious in families?

Immortality is something everyone dreams of. From kings and generals to farmers, everyone has an indescribable desire for longevity, but no one has ever been able to understand its secrets. Cancer is also a topic that has plagued humans for thousands of years. In this era of advanced technology, we still cannot defeat this stubborn disease. In life, people's habitual thinking will have such deviations: under normal circumstances, if one generation of a family suffers from cancer, it will affect the next few generations; if the elders die of cancer, the life span of their children will also be affected to a certain extent. Is this really the case?

Can cancer be transmitted in families? A team of experts has conducted relevant experiments, and their research shows that even if cancer cells are implanted into another person's body, they cannot survive. Although cancer cells can be rampant in the patient's body, invading everywhere, occupying various important organs, snatching important nutrients, establishing a cancer cell kingdom, and threatening people's lives, once they leave the internal environment of the original body, they are very fragile and difficult to survive.

Therefore, cancer is very serious, but it is a bit unfounded to worry about being infected with cancer. It can be said with certainty that cancer patients cannot transmit cancer cells to healthy individuals. So far, there is no scientific evidence to directly prove that cancer can be transmitted through kissing, contact, sex, sharing tableware and other daily lifestyle activities.

Is cancer hereditary? A large number of research reports have shown that cancer is related to heredity, but it does not mean direct inheritance. This is because different tumors may have different genetic transmission methods, and the role of genetic factors in the occurrence of most tumors is susceptibility or tendency to carcinogenic factors. The so-called genetic susceptibility to cancer means that among people living under the same living conditions, some individuals are more likely to develop cancer. On the basis of certain genetic characteristics, whether cancer will develop also depends on the combined effects of many acquired factors such as mental factors, environmental factors, dietary factors, and living habits, as well as external carcinogens.

People who know that they have a family history of cancer should, on the one hand, realize that although they may have a predisposition to cancer due to genetics, it does not mean that they have already developed cancer, and they should avoid unnecessary fear; on the other hand, they should pay more attention to cancer prevention and strive for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.

The truth about familial cancer In fact, the main reason for the familial clustering of some cancers is not the transmission of cancer cells themselves or genetic inheritance, but the transmission of viruses or bacteria that can promote the formation of cancer and the common lifestyle. Bacteria, viruses, parasites and other carcinogenic biological factors are all contagious. For example, hepatitis B virus, Helicobacter pylori, HIV, etc., they are highly contagious, and these viruses or bacteria can cause people to suffer from cancer. Several typical cancer-transmitting viruses are: hepatitis B virus → liver cancer; Helicobacter pylori → gastric cancer; human papillomavirus (HPV) → cervical cancer; Epstein-Barr virus (human herpes virus type 4) → nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In addition to viruses or bacteria, it may also be related to a common lifestyle. For example, long-term intake of pickled foods is related to gastric cancer and liver cancer.

The above description also explains why some cancers tend to cluster in families - this is related to the family's carcinogenic factors and group living habits. However, even if cancer clusters in a family, it is only an extremely rare individual phenomenon. There is currently no global or national large-sample statistical data to fully prove the familial clustering of cancer.

Physiological differences in the life span of cancer patients First, the site of cancer occurrence greatly affects the life span of cancer patients. According to the location of cancer cells, they can be roughly divided into three types: primary cancer, multiple cancers, and secondary cancers. Due to their respective characteristics, the risk levels of the three types of cancer increase in sequence. In particular, secondary cancers can spread from the tumor location point to all parts of the body, causing the disease to deteriorate rapidly and significantly shortening the patient's life span.

Secondly, human tumors can be divided into benign and malignant. Therefore, the key to whether a cancer patient survives long or short lies in two aspects: one is the influence of the malignancy and growth rate of the tumor, and the other is whether the treatment is convenient or not. The survival period of most early cancers is very long compared to late cancers, such as early lung cancer, early gastric cancer, and early colorectal cancer. In addition, compared with lung cancer, liver cancer, and other malignant tumors such as prostate cancer, cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, and bladder cancer, their life spans are generally very different.

Finally, the early or late discovery of cancer tumors is also a factor that affects the patient's subsequent life expectancy. For most patients who have a slight physical discomfort, they prefer to simply take a medicine, and usually do not think about cancer. They think that their health has always been good and refuse to do further examinations. Some patients do not go to the hospital or clinic, but go to the pharmacy to get some medicine for self-treatment based on their personal experience. This often misses the best time for diagnosis and treatment, and then puts themselves in prison.

How to deal with a family history of cancer? When you find that there is a cluster of cancers in your family, or there is a potential risk of cancer, you should treat it with a scientific perspective and carry out targeted family cancer prevention. For example, to prevent esophageal cancer, you need to be careful not to eat overheated food in your daily life. It is recommended that the daily food temperature be warm to avoid overheated food repeatedly irritating the esophageal mucosa; to prevent liver cancer, you need to quit smoking and reduce alcohol, eat a healthy diet, avoid staying up late, have a regular work and rest schedule, and maintain a good mood, etc.

In general, cancer prevention is a very large topic. Different types of cancer require different prevention methods. It is recommended that everyone develop a good habit of having a physical examination once a year to achieve early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of cancer.

In conclusion, cancer has always been defined as a terminal illness. Although there are many treatments that can significantly extend the lifespan of cancer patients, people's inherent cognition is difficult to change. If diagnosed with cancer, most people's mentality will change negatively, and negative psychology will cause symptoms such as decreased appetite and sleep disorders, which will further lead to decreased immune function. The treatment of cancer is closely related to immune function. In fact, not only cancer, but the treatment of most diseases is related to our body's immune function. Therefore, no matter what the result is, we must face it with a good attitude. It may be difficult, but everything is in our hands, isn't it?

I hope everyone takes good care of their bodies, does not overdraw their bodies, and works and lives healthily and happily!

(Author: Wu Xilong, School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine)