Cancer: who gets sick and why. To whom cancer comes - psychosomatic causes of oncology Why people often get cancer now

Sooner or later, you will have to pay for everything good - you can’t argue here. Maybe that's why a quarter of the population of civilized and progressive countries suffer from cancer in one form or another? Over the past 25 years, oncology has significantly increased the number of its current and potential victims. She walks across the planet with leaps and bounds: whom she bypasses, and where she lingers for a long time - here, as someone is lucky.

"Cancer" statistics of Russia

The percentage of Russians who annually fall ill with an insidious disease is growing rapidly. So, in the not yet distant 1998, more than 440,000 cancer patients were registered throughout the country, and 15 years later, completely different terrifying numbers were registered - more than 2.5 million cases of the disease! Statistics say that the disease is “gaining momentum” by an average of 11.3% every 10 years. But even these data should not be taken as the most accurate information, since the rate at which a malignant tumor “devours” a country is increasing exponentially.

The large territorial size of the state gives oncology a selective character - the incidence rate in one region can differ significantly from the level of the neighboring one. Krasnodar Territory is the leader in this sad rating (almost 2,500 cases of cancer annually per 100,000 people). It is followed by the Moscow and Novgorod regions (2330 and 2320 respectively). The Leningrad region closes the top three (2309 cases of the disease). The smallest percentage of incidence in the Tver region, the Chechen Republic, Ingushetia and Chukotka (from 450 to 850 cases for every 100,000 population). The density of cancer patients also varies by city. For example, residents of the large industrial city of Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) claim that they live in the dirtiest place on earth. And they are partly right: city dwellers live an average of 10 years less than residents of cities in other Russian regions, and the rates of people dying from oncology and cardiovascular diseases are unusually high. Although the state environment, which is on the eve of an ecological catastrophe, fully explains why people in Norilsk often get cancer.

Why do people get more cancer

Scientists name many factors that, to one degree or another, provoke a surge in the oncological epidemic in the modern world. Here are the most significant of them:

1. Poor ecology of large cities.
2. Stress.
3. Food with the addition of synthetic dyes.
4. Genetically modified foods.
5. Electromagnetic radiation.
6. Smoking.
7. UV irradiation.

Where and what type of cancer is more common

To understand why people so often get cancer of one kind or another, one must take into account that the spread of oncology in different countries ah is based on cultural and climatic conditions, food traditions, composition of soil, water, air and many other factors.

The highest percentage of sick and dead from a terrible disease in Hungary (313 deaths per 100,000 every year), and the lowest - in Asia and West Africa. If we consider certain types of disease in the context of different countries, then the following picture emerges.

Lungs' cancer

The scourge of large industrial countries. The disease "prefers" blacks in the United States, as well as Germans, British and New Zealanders. But in Mali, Puerto Rico and India, it is extremely rare.

Pancreas cancer

This is a problem of excessive consumption of animal protein and meat. Residents of Denmark, New Zealand, America and Canada are most often affected. In the daily diet of a New Zealander, for comparison, there are more than 200 g of fatty meat products, while in the Japanese and Italians this figure does not even reach 70 g.

Stomach cancer

The first place is occupied by East Asia. The disease is very common in Japan and China, where it accounts for about 40% of all malignant tumors. Not inferior in the number of patients and Russia. This is due to the food habits of these countries: a lot of starch, little animal protein, milk, natural fiber.

Cervical cancer

There is a direct connection between the disease and sexual life: the formation of a tumor in the body is “started” by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted. In Japan, India and Brazil, about 80% of gynecological problems are associated with this type of oncology.

Liver cancer

85% of all cases occur in developing countries. Most often, residents of Southeast Asia and central Africa suffer. Science has proven that aflatoxin, a poison that enters the body with mold-infected cereals and nuts, becomes the source of the disease.

Prostate cancer

In the United States, only lung cancer is more common than this type of oncology. But the inhabitants of Japan and China practically do not face a similar problem. But here's what's interesting: when the men of these countries move to another state, the incidence rate increases among them. Probably, the reason lies in the change in living conditions and habits.

Mammary cancer

Late delivery increases the risk of the disease. If a woman gave birth to her first child not at the age of 20, but after 33 years, then her “chances” of falling ill with this particular form of pathology increase exactly 3 times. Oncological diseases of the breast are quite rare for residents of Central Asia, the Middle East, China and Japan - it is customary to give birth early there. A large number of cases among women in the UK.

bladder cancer

The main problem of smokers in industrialized countries. The United States, Italy, Canada and England are leading in terms of the number of cases.

testicular cancer

Quite a rare disease. It mainly affects men in Norway, Denmark and Switzerland, and in Asia and Africa almost nothing is known about it.

An active increase in the incidence of cancer has long been a public problem. How much more time must pass before scientists finally find a weapon against a terrible epidemic? Perhaps, for now, you need to rely only on your own strength: to minimize all factors that can cause the formation of malignant cells. Take care of yourself!

Every year, the statistics on the spread of cancer are getting worse. Despite the invention of new drugs, improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the number of people dying from tumors is progressively increasing. To answer the question: Why do people get cancer?”, you need to know the reason for its appearance.

Why do people get cancer?

Depending on the location of the malignant focus, the causes and predisposing factors differ.

Stomach cancer

All causes can be divided into several groups according to their origin:

1. Alimentary - characterized by the peculiarities of the diet, which a person adheres to for many years. This group includes:

• excessive consumption of fatty, fried, spicy foods and canned foods;
• trans fats (chips, crackers, margarine);
• vegetables, meat, for the growth of which chemical, hormonal or other carcinogenic substances are used.

1. Harmful addictions (smoking, alcohol).
2. Chronic gastric pathology, for example, erosion of the mucous membrane, long-term atrophic gastritis. Especially often with tumors, a bacterium is detected - "Helicobacter pylori", whose toxic waste products damage the protective layer of the stomach, as a result of which hydrochloric acid affects the mucous membrane.
3. hereditary predisposition.
4. Metabolic disorders due to hormonal imbalance or malnutrition.

At the initial stage of the disease, there may be no clinical symptoms, so a person goes to the doctor with complaints at stages 3-4, when the prognosis is already unfavorable.

Lungs' cancer

There are predisposing factors that a person cannot fight, for example, genetics, age, when the immune defense gradually decreases, concomitant chronic pathology appears (bronchitis, pneumonia) or hormonal disorders (menopause in women).

The remaining causes can be eliminated on their own or, at least, their influence can be reduced:

• smoking (tobacco smoke leads to the death of the protective epithelium of the bronchopulmonary system, and carcinogens, absorbed into the bloodstream, poison the entire body);
• industrial hazards (work with asbestos, metal, pesticides, cotton spinning, mining, rubber industry).

In addition, we must not forget about air pollution by carcinogens emitted by factories or resulting from the combustion of automotive fuel that we breathe every day.

bowel cancer

In the first place can be attributed to background bowel diseases of a hereditary or acquired nature. Among them are:

• polyposis, which can degenerate into a malignant neoplasm;
• inflammation, ulcers, Crohn's disease;
• celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

Of course, we should not forget about the negative impact of smoking and improper nutritional diet (insufficient consumption of various types of cereals, vegetables, coarse fibers; a large number of products with dyes, flavors, growth stimulants, etc.).

Mammary cancer

The most common cause is a hormonal imbalance. It is observed:

• at puberty or menopause;
• when taking hormonal drugs for concomitant pathology;
• late pregnancy, childbirth (after 28 years);
• frequent abortions;
• the absence of a lactation period;
• background pathology (mastitis, mastopathy, fibroadenoma, intraductal papillomatosis;
• genetic predisposition.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the radiation effect on the mammary glands when undergoing radiation for a tumor of the lungs or lymph nodes.

Why do women get uterine cancer?

In the group of "oncology" of the reproductive female system, we include the bodies of the uterus and ovaries. The following causes of occurrence apply to the entire group:

• age over 50 years;
• metabolic disorder (obesity);
• endocrine pathology, including polycystic ovaries;
• late first pregnancy (after 28 years);
• menopause;
• early sexual activity (12-13 years);
• promiscuity (venereal infections, genital herpes, papilloma virus);
• frequent abortions;
• inflammatory diseases (endometritis, vulvovaginitis, adnexitis);
• infertility;
• taking hormonal drugs, including oral contraceptives.

It should be noted that the listed factors are not 100% the cause, but increase the risk of its development.

Skin cancer

One of the most formidable skin diseases -. There are several factors that increase the risk of its occurrence:

• prolonged exposure to the sun during the period of their maximum activity (in summer from 11:00 to 16:00 of the day);
• addiction to the solarium, a visit to which increases the likelihood of skin cancer by 75%;
• (special attention should be paid when they are traumatized, discolored, droplets of blood appear, intensive growth);
• genetic predisposition;
• low immunity due to concomitant inflammatory or infectious pathology.

Why do men get prostate cancer?

The cause remains debatable. It is not completely clear what leads to. We can only highlight a few predisposing factors:

• age when, after 50 years, changes occur in the tissues of the prostate gland;
• hormonal disorders (decrease in testosterone);
• genetic failure;
• influence of radiation, irradiation;
• a sedentary lifestyle, when there is stagnation of venous blood in the pelvic organs, due to which the cells do not receive enough nutrients and oxygen;
• bad habits (smoking, alcohol), unhealthy diet;
• prolonged absence of sexual relations;
• reproductive system infections.

Blood cancer

Rapidly dividing cells are most susceptible to mutations and malignant transformation. These include blood cells (immature, young). Their growth is negatively affected by:

• radiation;
• harmfulness of production (work with pesticides, paint and varnish industry);
• carcinogens consumed with food;
• hereditary predisposition;
• treatment with chemotherapy drugs for concomitant malignant pathology;
• immunodeficiency states (HIV).

Thus, we can conclude that a lot depends on the person, especially on the lifestyle and the level of the body's immune defenses. Now knowing why do people get cancer, we hope that you will try to avoid provoking causes, and most importantly, regularly undergo medical examinations and consult a doctor in a timely manner!

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Why do people get cancer

Very often, oncological diseases are preceded by the feeling that no one needs you, that you are not in demand either at work or in the family. And people who, during an illness, struggle with this feeling and set specific goals outside of their illness, often, having overcome the illness, live richly and long enough.

In recent years, enough evidence has been accumulating from scientists and psychologists that cancer is based on psychosomatic causes. And now we learn about them.

Alexander DANILIN, psychotherapist PND No. 23, host of the Silver Threads program on Radio Russia. He spoke about the psychosomatic causes of oncology and the possibility of overcoming the disease.

- It all starts with the feeling that you are no longer the salt of the earth?

- As a psychotherapist, I can talk specifically about psychosomatic problems, that is, about how a spiritual experience can cause one or another somatic reaction. Of course, any illness, even an elementary cold, changes our life plans, sometimes significantly, sometimes not, and a person experiences some kind of anxiety. But these are already consequences, and psychosomatics considers all forms of oncological diseases as the primary manifestation of a person’s unwillingness to live. Unwillingness of the inner, hidden, unconscious.

It is clear that cancer is not suicide, but there are many forms of human behavior that, in fact, are slow suicide. For example, drunkenness or smoking. Teenagers who start smoking secretly may not know, but any adult smoker knows that it is very likely to lead to swelling, yet many continue to smoke.

“Maybe something has changed now, but 10 years ago, when I regularly visited the cancer center, oncologists smoked a lot. I came to the center - from all the doors of the lung department, smoke was coming out in clubs.

I am also a smoker, although I understand that I take risks. How to explain the smoking of doctors, who daily face the consequences of this habit? This, I think, is the ambition of a doctor. Like, I’m a doctor, I can overcome this disease in myself, everyone can’t, but I can. And there is certainly an element of such ambition in my smoking. On the other hand, smoking is pseudo-meditation, an opportunity to withdraw into oneself. This is a separate topic, now I would like to talk about emotional experiences.

I had a close encounter with oncology in the nineties of the last century, when almost all of my parents and my wife died from various types of tumors. As you remember, then life in the country changed dramatically. I noticed that many people then experienced fear (not despair, but fear), and began to understand that my father, father-in-law, mother-in-law somewhere in the depths of their souls did not want to live in the new world that was offered to them.

For most people, their life status and self-identification are very important. This is especially important at our age, on average. We understand that life does not end yet, but it begins to move towards sunset, and at this time it is especially important for a person to understand who he is, what he has achieved, whether he can indicate his status with the words: “I am a famous doctor” or “I am a famous journalist”, etc. .d. The word "famous" here is of great importance to many - even if they hide it, people want such an adjective, meaning the measure of their influence, to exist.

Any existential problem can only be expressed in metaphor. For this situation, the words of Christ seem to me most suitable: "You are the salt of the earth." They sunk into my soul from the first reading of the Gospel. I believe that cancer overtakes a person who begins to feel that he is no longer the salt of the earth.

We all know that salt adds flavor to food. But before the era of refrigerators, it also helped food to be preserved - there was simply no other way to preserve food. Therefore, in all cultures, salt has been a symbol of care. By exchanging salt, people emphasized their closeness and ability to keep each other. So, when a person feels that no one needs his creativity, the fruits of his labor, or that he has no one else to keep, very often he develops a tumor.

For example, my grandmother was the guardian of a large family - I kept in touch with both second cousins ​​and fourth cousins. She always felt like a keeper, and indeed, after her death, the family broke up, with many distant relatives, contact was lost. That is, to feel like the salt of the earth, wide fame or demand is not necessary, but at least at the level of the family, the closest people - parents, husband, wife, children, grandchildren or friends - everyone needs it. And I don't think it's appropriate to talk about pride. Cancer overtakes both the proud and the humble, humble people. The metaphor “salt of the earth” is closer to me.

And for a person of a creative profession - a writer, an artist, a composer - it is very important to understand (even if he pretends that he does not care) that he will be read, watched, listened to for a long time. Artists (in the broad sense of the word) who believe in this often live long, but those who hope that a written book, picture, music will immediately bring fame, often get sick and die relatively early.

Of course, some good feedback is needed at least from someone: from a wife, husband, children, from those with whom there are connections. But often in reality, especially today, everyone is so absorbed in their own affairs that they even “have no time” to say a kind word to another that even though he retired, we remember and appreciate his “role in history” - a contribution to science or art or family care.

Not everyone can change with life

The feeling that you have ceased to be salt appears in different situations: for someone it is associated with retirement, for someone - with a job downturn, a creative crisis. In the 1990s, when Yeltsin actually closed the KGB - there were big cuts, some departments were liquidated - a huge number of "black colonels" turned out to be outside the system, outside the office (they could be lieutenant colonels, and even majors, but that's not the point ). They were taken care of, they were offered to open companies or they were taken to those that had already opened as deputies, in general, they were satisfied, as far as I know, quite well.

But there is a huge difference between the life of a colonel or lieutenant colonel in the engineering department of the KGB and the life of a director or deputy director of a firm. The life of a director or deputy director of a company is a constant bustle, running around, organizing, selling and reselling, in general, all the delights of our so-called business. And not all of them can. Basically, not all. I don't know if I can. And these people suddenly began to break up into narcological and oncological patients - either they drank too much, or they developed tumors.

Of course, not everyone got sick, but very many - there was an outbreak, the oncologists themselves told me about it. The situation is clear. These people, almost the only ones in the country, lived, if not under communism, then definitely under socialism. From the very beginning of their service, they had a quite predictable career, a relatively short queue for an apartment, a car, vouchers to good sanatoriums - in general, understandable and rather profitable rules of the game. They received not much more than ordinary Soviet employees, but thanks to the preferential supply system, they were spared the fuss of life on which we all spend a significant part of our time.

And suddenly they returned to this fuss against their will. For many, this proved unbearable. It's not about pride, it's not about morbid pride. I talked with many of them, some, of course, had pride, but not all of them. The problem is not in rabid pride, but in the fact that they did not fit this world, could not understand the relationship in it. I had to change something in myself in order to become a new person - a member of the consumer society. Few were able to cope with this task.

This is one example. My dad was a real believing Soviet man. An engineer, non-partisan, he did not have any benefits, he lived only on a salary, but he sincerely believed that the Soviet government was the best in the world. Unmercenary, completely devoid of pride, always acting according to his conscience and teaching me this.

And in the mid-1980s, when I was already living separately, he read Rybakov’s Children of the Arbat, which had just been published in Friendship of Peoples, called me at night and asked me, my 25-year-old son: “Sasha, it really was ? Is what he writes true?

He died of cancer. The world, where the truth turned 180 degrees, required a completely different person, a person of some other faith. What is Christianity, dad, unlike me, did not know, and treated it with humor. Such a healthy Soviet engineer. By the way, non-partisan, but believed in communism, in Soviet power. I think he also faced the need to become completely different, because his scheme of life - for 120 rubles - already at the end of the 1980s did not allow him to live and, as you understand, it did not allow him to live honestly, in harmony with conscience.

With all the difference in fate, both the “black colonels” and the pope needed some kind of rebirth. For example, I did a lot of things - oncopsychology, narcology, psychotherapy - but in all these areas my education, my experience is applicable. There has never been a need to change everything radically, to become different.

Most of those who came to me in groups on oncopsychology (now we are planning to continue this practice in Moscow PND No. 23), for various reasons, faced the existential need to literally become different in order to settle in this world (not in the material sense, but in the spiritual sense). or psychological), but did not find the strength for this. And for me, as a psychotherapist (I'm not an oncologist), the main thing in the treatment of cancer is the goals that a person sets for the future outside of his illness.

It is clear that we are all mortal, moreover, it is necessary for our development, creativity. If we knew that we are immortal (I'm talking about earthly life), we would immediately stop. Where to rush, if we have an unlimited supply of time? I’ll write a book or a symphony later, someday, but now I’d rather lie down on the couch.

Death is necessary for us to function. We have an indefinite, but precisely a short period of time, so that we have time to become the salt of the earth. Therefore, the main thing in the treatment of oncology is to set some kind of task.

Initially, there can be two goals: caring for other people or creativity, which inevitably includes this care. Any creativity makes sense when a person creates for others in order to give them beauty, to reveal something new to them about the world around them.

I think if there was a real Dorian Gray, who fit his life into a portrait, he would die of cancer. Because such creativity is fruitless. Creativity to the detriment of people, for example, the creation of a bomb, other weapons of mass destruction, is also often detrimental to health. At least among our own and among the American bomb makers, many died of cancer, and I think that they fell ill not only because of radiation.

The more awareness, the less pain

I'm sure many of what I'm saying will seem heresy. Although everyone believes that the brain, soul, body are a single structure, and the nervous system controls the whole body. Life confirms the psychosomatic "heresy" - I have seen more than once how people who found purpose and strength to fight the feeling of total uselessness rose up.

For example, a 58-year-old woman, philologist, grandmother of three grandchildren. She had a traditional female tumor, she sat at home, stopped doing anything. I managed to convince her that, firstly, it is not necessary to wait for the children to call - they work from morning to night, they can dial the number themselves, talk, find out how they are doing. Secondly, not only they, but also she is responsible for ensuring that her grandchildren grow up to be worthy people.

If the children who work from morning to night do not have the strength and time to take her grandchildren to museums, all the more so should she use the time left to go around with them as many museums as possible, tell about as many favorite paintings as possible, explain why she loves these pictures. She listened to my advice, 10 years have passed, now she is raising her great-grandchildren.

I also had a girl who, at the age of 14, was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor. Her parents put her at home, surrounded her with care, everyone around her jumped, and I began to say things disgusting for my parents: “You are killing yourself. Have you dreamed of being an artist? So do not sit at home, but go to the circle.

Naturally, because of her illness, her figure changed, but I was inexorable: “Do you dream of love? Try no matter what to look so that the boys like. Thank God, her parents supported me, and she lived long enough, she died at 28. I lived a full life, I just don’t want to go into details so that it’s not so recognizable.

I often forced young men to write memoirs. He said: “You have your own attitude to life, to today's events. Now your children are not interested in this, but by the age of 30 they will want to know who they are, where they come from. The man wrote memoirs, published at his own expense.

Of course, sooner or later we all die. The question is whether to live out one's life in complete helplessness, disappointment in everything, or to live interestingly until the last minute, to feel one's need for someone.

There is no such age and no such illness when a person cannot take a smart book or a New Testament and think about the meaning of life, about specific employment, about specific creativity at a given life stage. If I think about it and find meaning, I tend to live longer. If I don't want to think with my head, soul or spirit, my body starts thinking for me.

Everything that a person did not think out, was afraid of and did not overcome, wanted to express, but did not express, will be expressed in muscle clamps, pains and diseases. Also in dreams. We do not have the habit of analyzing our own dreams, thinking about what they are telling us about, about what troubles that we do not want to be aware of.

The more awareness there is in human life (in any language that is closer to you - psychoanalytic, existential, Christian), the less pain and the easier death. Illness is always a kind of metaphor for what we have tried to hide from ourselves. source-http://www.oneoflady.com/2015/01/blog-post_68.html

Cancer is a pathological condition, the incidence of which is increasing every year. In the modern world, a terrible disease is very common. Especially the incidence increased sharply after the introduction of new diagnostic methods and screening programs. This is due to the fact that methods for detecting pathology in the early stages have improved. Nevertheless, mortality from oncological processes continues to grow. Therefore, many people are tormented by the question: "How do people get cancer?" By eliminating the main causes of pathology, the risk of developing oncological ailments can be minimized.

The prevalence of cancer in the world: statistics

The statistics of cancer patients today leaves much to be desired. Unfortunately, the forecasts of doctors are disappointing, despite the development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment. You should know that oncology is a field of medicine in which there is a large amount of statistical data. Among them are 5- and 10-year survival of patients, cancer mortality, indicators after surgical treatment and in its absence, etc. In addition, statistical data on tumors of each individual organ are calculated. The indicators depend on gender, histological type, stage, country, etc. According to the World Health Organization, more than 15 million people suffer from cancer in the world, more than half of them die from malignant tumors. In addition, these figures are growing every day. It is believed that in countries with developed economies and a high standard of living, one in four people develop cancer. The most common tumors are in the lung, breast, skin, stomach, intestines, and prostate. The female population is often diagnosed with oncological diseases of the cervix and endometrium. Despite the fact that the statistics are rather deplorable, a lot of efforts are directed towards the fight against cancer. Every year there are new diagnostic methods, as well as methods of treatment. Among them are targeted and immune therapy, modern beam installations. As a result, morbidity and mortality from certain types of cancer has decreased. Among them - tumors of the thyroid gland, stomach.

How people get cancer: causes of pathology

Unfortunately, the exact cause of oncological pathologies cannot be established. It is believed that cancer is a polyetiological disease. That is, it arises as a result of the influence of several causes at once. Even doctors cannot answer the question of how to get cancer quickly, and most importantly - because of what it happens. There are many theories of the origin of malignant tumors. However, none of them are reliable. For this reason, it is generally accepted that cancer is a pathology that develops as a result of a combination of many unfavorable factors. But some tumors form for specific reasons. The question "how do people who are exposed to the same factors get cancer, while other subjects remain healthy" remains open. Given this, great importance is attached to endogenous causes, as well as hereditary predisposition. In addition, there are a number of other etiological factors. Among them:

1. Abuse of bad habits and bad ecology.
2. Chronic carriage of viruses. This factor does not apply to all oncological processes.
3. Wrong diet and lifestyle.
4. exposure to stressful situations.
5. Frequently exacerbated chronic inflammatory diseases.
6. Exposure to ionizing radiation.
7. Insolation. To a greater extent, this factor affects the occurrence of melanoma and skin cancer.
8. Hormonal disorders.

In addition to the listed factors for the development of malignant tumors, there are many other adverse effects. In some cases, it is impossible to determine why people get cancer. After all, sometimes pathology occurs for no apparent reason.

Association of smoking with cancer incidence

Smoking is considered to be one of the factors influencing the development of cancerous tumors. Especially often this cause causes an oncological process in the lungs. That is why the disease is more common among the male population. However, not every person who smokes develops cancer. Firstly, because several factors influence the development of the oncological process. Another explanation is the individual feature of the organism. Thirdly, lung cancer is more likely to develop under the following conditions:

1. Great experience as a smoker. In most cases, malignant tumors occur in people who have been abusing tobacco products for more than 20 years.
2. Smoking more than 1 pack of cigarettes per day.
3. The formation of a bad habit in adolescence, when the respiratory system is not yet fully formed.

You should be aware that harmful substances in more are not contained in the nicotine itself, but in the resins deposited on the lung tissue. Inhalation of tobacco smoke is also considered harmful, even if the person himself does not abuse tobacco (passive smoking).

This factor causes not only lung cancer, but also affects the formation of almost all malignant tumors. Among them are tumors of the digestive tract, breast, prostate, skin, lips, etc.

The viral theory of cancer

How do people who do not abuse bad habits get cancer? It is believed that many oncological pathologies arise due to exposure to viruses. Indeed, large-scale studies support this theory. For example, the human papillomavirus is found in most women with cervical cancer. Also, this pathogen can cause tumors of the vulva, endometrium, mouth and throat. The essence of the viral theory of the occurrence of cancer is to change the DNA of normal cells of the body as a result of exposure to microorganisms. The causative agents include: Epstein-Barr virus, herpes, HPV. Oncological diseases resulting from exposure to pathogens - Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, skin cancer. It is believed that RNA-containing retroviruses cause cell atypia. After a change in the genome, cancer develops on its own. That is, the impact of the virus leads to a change in only a part of the cells, after which the process of carcinogenesis starts. This theory has not been fully proven, however, antigens to some pathogens are indeed present in most people suffering from cervical cancer, vulva cancer, and lymphomas.

Influence of environmental factors on morbidity

Harmful environmental factors include the ecological picture of the area, exposure to ionizing radiation, humidity, etc. They are exogenous causes of cancer. It is known that such factors affect the carcinogenesis of any tumor. The ionizing effect leads to changes in the cellular structure, which leads to atypia. After that, the process of carcinogenesis starts. As a result, the unmotivated growth of atypical cells that make up the malignant formation begins.

Environmental problems are also an unfavorable factor. As a result of the thinning of the ozone layer, a large amount of exhaust gases, the quality of not only air, but also food suffers. This is especially pronounced in urban areas. In areas where there are metallurgical plants and mines, the likelihood of getting cancer increases significantly. Exogenous factors include increased air humidity, smoke, accumulation of certain gases in unventilated rooms, etc.

Relationship between nutrition and cancer incidence

Eating wrong is another answer to the question of how to get cancer. Rapidly developing tumors that form from the tissues of the esophagus and stomach. The causes of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract include all of these factors. However, the main etiological aspect is the wrong diet. It is known that tumors of the esophagus are more often diagnosed in areas where small-boned fish live. This is due to the fact that when using products that injure the wall of the organ, the risk of developing this disease is several times higher. In addition, tumors of the digestive tract, in particular the intestines, are more likely to occur in people who eat a lot of fatty, spicy, meat products. The risk of developing oncology is reduced by eating foods rich in plant fiber and vitamins.

In addition, some products contain substances that affect the degeneration of normal cells. They are called carcinogens. Among them are semi-finished products, processed flour and vegetable oil, carbonated drinks, refined sugar, etc. It is worth noting that many products currently contain GMOs. Genetically modified supplements significantly increase the risk of developing cancerous tumors, as they are composed of chemicals. GMOs are used to enhance the growth of vegetables and fruits, to give a "marketable appearance" to meat, fish, etc.

Genetic theory of the occurrence of tumors

One of the main causes of malignant cells, experts call heredity. It is known that in some cases, cancer is transmitted from parents to children in each new generation. The fact is that cells that can eventually transform into a tumor are present in all people. They are called prooncogenes. However, they are not activated for everyone. It depends on the influence of harmful factors. In addition, even the same exposure in one case causes cancer, but not in another. It is believed that this is due to a genetic predisposition to cancer. This theory has a lot of evidence.

Probability of getting cancer in healthy people

Is it possible to get cancer if all the adverse factors affecting the body are excluded? Unfortunately yes. Despite precautions, a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and timely treatment of inflammatory diseases, there is still a chance of getting cancer. After all, a person cannot control the environment, as well as endogenous processes occurring at the cellular level. But the fewer provoking factors, the lower the risk of developing cancer.

Why does cancerophobia occur and how to deal with it?

Carcinophobia is a pathological fear of cancer. It develops in especially impressionable people and is considered in psychiatry as obsessive states (obsessional syndrome). The fear of getting cancer is now widespread. To cope with carcinophobia, it is necessary to undergo an examination of the body. This will help ensure that there is no cause for alarm. It is also worth consulting with an oncologist and find out exactly what symptoms are observed with cancer. If the fear does not go away, you should consult a psychologist.

Cancer incidence among children

If a child has cancer, it is very difficult to cope with the problem. Despite the fact that oncological pathologies in children are less common, tumors are more aggressive. This is due to the fact that the body is growing, hormonal changes, etc. Congenital forms of cancer are often combined with developmental anomalies that form even in the prenatal period. In most cases, tumors of the lymphoid and hematopoietic systems, soft tissues, bones, nephro-, neuro- and retinoblastomas are found among the child population.

How to get breast cancer: causes

Tumors of the mammary glands are considered the most common oncological pathologies in women. Risk factors for developing breast cancer include:

1. Harmful influences (smoking, ionizing radiation).
2. Chronic inflammatory gynecological diseases.
3. Endocrine disorders, in particular hypothyroidism.
4. Benign neoplasms in the mammary glands, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, polyps, etc.
5. Frequent abortions, lack of pregnancies and childbirth.

Currently, breast tumors are detected at an early stage thanks to screening studies. This helps to stop the development of the disease in time and save the patient's life.

Leukemia: causes of blood cancer

How is blood cancer diagnosed and why does it occur? The causes of leukemia are the same as in other oncological processes. Blood cancer develops due to the appearance of abnormal cells in the bone marrow. Most often this disease occurs among children.

Is it possible to get cancer from a sick person?

Despite the fact that cancer is a serious and terrible disease, it is not transmitted from a sick person to healthy people. Therefore, you should not be afraid of infection with oncological pathologies. Cancer is not an infectious disease, there is no way to transmit it!

More than 40 percent of cancer cases are the result of not quite the right lifestyle: people smoke, eat too much, neglect sports. And only in 10-15 percent of cases, genetics becomes the cause of a serious illness, according to the National Cancer Research Institute (Newark, New Jersey, USA).

And to reduce the risk of cancer, you just need to love three things and stop loving - five, oncologists are sure.

Smoking - only incense

The most effective way to reduce your chances of developing almost all types of cancer is to stop smoking. Prayers account for 30 percent of all cancer deaths.

Even if you start smoking not 20 cigarettes a day, but at least 10, it will reduce the risk of disease by 27 percent, calculated by the American Medical Association. Absence addiction, of course, does not cancel the likelihood of oncology, but it will be much calmer to live this way.

Fats don't belong here

A pack of sweets and a meat burger hurts more than just your waist: as soon as you become overweight, your risk of getting one of nine types of cancer increases, including the esophagus, kidneys and gallbladder. The fact is that adipose tissue produces proteins that cause inflammation. They also contribute to the growth of cancer cells.

Patricia Ganz, MD, who heads the Center for Cancer Research and Prevention at the California Medical University, says it's harder than ever for people to keep fit today: "Fast food is now cheaper than healthy food, plus we're more We spend more time watching TV and at the computer than in the open air.

The main rule is to watch your weight and keep your body mass index below 25 points.

Sweat at least half an hour a week

A third of all cancer deaths are associated not only with a disturbed diet, but also with low activity. Doctors usually advise to give physical activity 2.5 hours a week, but recent research shows that infrequent but well-aimed workouts are just as effective.

For example, half an hour of vigorous running per week is enough to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. This allows you to reduce any inflammatory processes in 35 percent of cases.

Don't drink out of grief

Alcohol is the culprit for several types of cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat, liver, colon, and breast. Scientists cannot name the exact cause of the development of the disease in these parts of the body, but a number of studies clearly indicate alcohol abuse.

Bacteria in the colon can convert large amounts of hot drinks into acetaldehyde. This is a chemical that causes cancer in laboratory animals. Such a compound is found in coffee, ripe fruits and bread, but it causes harm only when ethanol is oxidized.

In women who drink frequently on the bottle, estrogen levels rise, followed by adhesions (fibrous bands of connective tissue that develop when inflamed or damaged). This is a potential threat of breast cancer. To avoid a trip to the oncologist, you need to reduce alcohol consumption to at least a few times a week.

love broccoli

Vegetables not only cleanse the stomach, but also prevent the appearance of cancerous tumors. American doctors recommend eating more than two bowls of vegetables and fruits per day. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and Brussels sprouts, are high in glucosinolates (glucose + nitrogen + sulfur), which have anti-cancer effects. These compounds reduce the growth of abnormal cervical cells.

Tomatoes and watermelons, which contain lycopene, and eggplants, which are rich in antioxidants, also help keep the body in good shape.
But it is better to refuse red meat in favor of the same tomatoes. Studies show that a diet that includes more than half a kilogram of this product per week is a cause of rectal cancer.

Not only the sun has spots

Women between the ages of 18 and 39 are the most susceptible to skin cancer. Over the past 40 years, the incidence among them has skyrocketed by 800 percent. In order not to experience the harmful effects of the sun's rays, it is enough to use sunscreen.

An experiment in which 1,600 people took part showed that women who did not disdain such hygiene products reduced their risk of melanoma by 50 percent. The most "evil" sun is between 10 o'clock in the morning and four o'clock in the evening. So it is worth applying the cream both in summer and in winter, getting used to it as to brushing your teeth.

Only without nerves

Stress does not in itself cause cancer, but it can change the processes in the body so that diseases can get to you more easily.
Doctors at Ohio University have found that chronic overwork and neuroses change the activity of immune cells, which begin to produce cortisol in excess when it is not needed. A similar process triggers inflammation, causing cell mutation.

It is not antidepressants that will help get rid of stress, but yoga classes after seven in the evening every day.

The doctor is the head of everything

Regular visits to the doctor will allow you to notice anomalies like polyps (growth of tissues over the mucous membrane) in time. By the age of 20, it is best to undergo a full body scan, or at least do not forget about a full medical examination, and for women - about mammography. Timely detected deviations from the norm reduce the risk of breast cancer by a quarter.

In addition, every three years it is worth doing a cytological smear to rule out cervical cancer. When this analysis appeared in 1950, female mortality had fallen by 74 percent. It is time to check the colon after 50 years, but if there were cases of a similar disease in the family, even earlier. The sooner doctors detect abnormal growths, the higher the chance of curing the cancer.

There are many doctors, but one opinion

For many decades, malignant tumors have been ranked second (after cardiovascular diseases) among the main causes of human death, says the author of a textbook on the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer, Ibadulla Agayev. In men, cancers of the lung, stomach, skin, lips, esophagus occupy the first place, and in women - cancer of the stomach, breast, skin, cervix, lung and colon. By the end of the 20th century, every sixth of the people living on earth was at risk of cancer, and by 2002 - every fourth.

In the field of primary cancer prevention, indeed, the most effective measures are smoking cessation, dietary changes and chemoprevention (taking drugs that reduce the risk of cancer).

As a secondary prevention of cancer, if a person has concerns that they may get sick or are already sick, the professor recommends the following:

1. A modern method of visual examination of the walls of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum after 50 years every 2-3 years;

2. Examination of the rectum and lower colon with a special tube after 50 years every 3-5 years;

3. Checking feces for occult blood after 50 years annually;

4. Checking the rectum after 40 years of age annually.