People from Guangdong, especially those from Chaoshan, enjoy drinking Gongfu tea, but little do they know that this habit may increase the risk of developing stomach cancer! Recently, the "2008 National Cancer Summit Forum" was held in Guangzhou. He Yulong, Head of the Gastropancreatic Surgery Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, recommended that people over 40 who have a habit of eating preserved foods or a family history of stomach cancer should undergo early check-ups and consultations. 90% of adults have chronic gastritis.
China is a high-incidence area for stomach cancer, with both its incidence and mortality rates being more than twice the world average. Among the adult population, about 90% have chronic gastritis. Chronic atrophic gastritis may be a precancerous lesion of stomach cancer; some cases may have symptoms, while others may be completely asymptomatic. Clinical statistics show that if stomach cancer is detected and is limited to the gastric mucosal layer or is in the early stage, the patient's 5-year survival rate can be as high as 90%-95%. For patients diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer, without treatment, their survival period is only 3-4 months. According to Director He Yulong, the early detection rate for stomach cancer has risen from 7.8% in 2000 to around 13%. Although the rate has increased, it is still relatively low overall. This means that about 80% of patients with early-stage stomach cancer are unaware of their condition and miss the best treatment time.
There are many factors that can cause gastrointestinal cancer. Director He Yulong stated that some living and eating habits of people from Guangdong can increase the risk of the disease. Specifically, people from Guangdong, especially those from Chaoshan, enjoy drinking Gongfu tea. Some people like to drink very hot tea water, "brewing it with freshly boiled water and drinking it directly." Little do they know that this practice can damage the gastrointestinal mucosa. After repeated cycles of damage and repair, "there is a certain potential risk." Some regions in Guangdong also have a habit of eating preserved foods, such as salted fish, fish sauce, and pickles. Preserved vegetables, smoked meats, and fish contain large amounts of nitrates and nitrites, which can be converted into strong carcinogenic substances in the stomach, increasing the risk of stomach cancer.
Although there is currently no evidence to prove that stomach cancer is hereditary, clinical findings show that 3 per thousand of stomach cancer patients have a family history of the disease. If there is a family history of colorectal cancer, the risk for their immediate relatives to develop the disease is 20% higher than that of the general population.
Director He recommends that people over 40 who have a habit of eating preserved foods or a family history of stomach cancer should have early and regular check-ups, as "early detection and early treatment are crucial for stomach cancer."