Interpretations by top ten cancer experts! Is "cancer in the belly" more dangerous? Three major signs that young people are prone to cancer
Cancer occurs at an earlier age? Doctor: Early detection of these cancers is a good thing
The Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare released the latest cancer registration report, showing that the number of new cancer cases reached 121,254, an increase of 5,123 from the previous year. The “top ten cancers” for both men and women combined are: colorectal cancer, lung cancer, female breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, and uterine cancer. The cancer clock is set forward 11 seconds again.
Dr. Wu Jiaoen from the Oncology Department of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital said in an interview that judging from the latest cancer registration data, the median age at onset has not changed much. And the increase in the number of cases is not entirely a bad thing in terms of cancer prevention and treatment. It shows that the various cancer screenings promoted today are effective. As long as patients detect cancer early and receive appropriate treatment, it will help reduce cancer mortality.
Taking lung cancer, which has seen the most significant increase in the number of cases in recent years, as an example, Dr. Wu Jiaoen explained that if a patient is diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer at the age of 60 and is detected 2-3 years earlier through relevant screening tests, the age of diagnosis will be earlier, but the stage of the lung cancer will not be higher. The number may also be advanced, early-stage lung cancer has a better chance of being cured by surgery, and the 5-year survival rate will also increase.
After promoting low-dose computed tomography screening in recent years, it has indeed been found that the number of lung cancer diagnoses has increased and the age group has dropped. However, the proportion of newly diagnosed early-stage lung cancer in various hospitals has also increased to nearly half.
Dr. Wu Jiaoen believes that if the proportion of late-stage lung cancer diagnoses remains unchanged and the number of people diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer increases, he believes that the number of lung cancer deaths will show a downward trend in 5 to 10 years. Therefore, it is important to detect cancer early to strive for better treatment. Not a bad thing for patients.
Is “cancer in the belly” more dangerous? His tumor was only diagnosed when it reached 20 centimeters in size
In contrast, the occurrence of cancer in digestive tract organs is worrying. Dr. Wu Jiaoen pointed out that many types of cancer that are easy to progress to late stages and are not discovered are tumors in the “stomach”, such as gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.
Dr. Wu Jiaoen said that this type of cancer is easy to be discovered in the late stage for two main reasons. The first is that there are no obvious symptoms in the early stage of digestive tract organ cancer. Once symptoms occur, the condition is usually quite serious. The second is that there are currently few good screening tools, and most people tend to ignore regular examinations such as colonoscopy, gastroscopy or ultrasound.
Dr. Wu Jiaoen further explained that the huge space in the human abdominal cavity is not only conducive to the spread of cancer cells, but the patient may not feel it until the tumor grows to a certain extent. For example, liver cells may not show symptoms until they are 10 centimeters large. When they seek medical treatment for abdominal pain and discomfort, many people find that the tumor has grown to 10-20 centimeters.
Liver cancer has been among the top ten cancers for many years. One of the main risk factors is hepatitis B and hepatitis C. People with chronic hepatitis should pay attention to regular follow-up and proper treatment. Dr. Wu Jiaoen pointed out that many liver cancer patients neglected to track chronic hepatitis due to work and family before diagnosis. Only when they were checked again after a period of time did they discover that they had liver cancer, which deserves public vigilance.
Another example is pancreatic cancer , known as the “King of Cancers”. Taiwanese people rarely receive pancreatic ultrasound or computed tomography examinations regularly. However, pancreatic cancer may metastasize as long as it grows to 1-2 centimeters. In addition, the pancreas is located in the posterior abdominal cavity and is easily obscured by other organs. Currently, only 10%-20% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can undergo surgery. If you have high-risk factors, you should consider regular screening to avoid missing the opportunity to detect pancreatic cancer early.
Who is more likely to get cancer at a young age? People who are sedentary, obese and have poor diet should pay attention
Dr. Wu Jiaoen pointed out that the risk factors for the top ten cancers are different, and the prevention methods are also different. Overall, to reduce your chances of contracting cancer, diet and living habits are still important. You must quit smoking, alcohol, betel nut and other carcinogens to reduce the risk of lung cancer, oral cancer and esophageal cancer.
In terms of diet, you should consume more high-fiber foods and reduce the intake of red meat . In particular, adequate fiber intake of vegetables and fruits is closely related to the prevention of colorectal cancer. Dr. Wu Jiaoen reminded that young cancer patients aged 20 to 30 are often seen clinically. They generally have poor eating habits, lack of exercise, obesity, and mostly sedentary work patterns. These are all warning signs worth noting.
In terms of daily routine, drinking more water, exercising moderately, avoiding staying up late, and maintaining a happy mood are beneficial to maintaining health. There are also related studies that believe that people with prone to anxiety have a higher risk of cancer. Although the causal relationship cannot be determined, it is still recommended to appropriately regulate stress and emotions to reduce the potential impact on the body.
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