According to a report by the Harbin Daily on March 26, the Harbin Medical University Cancer Institute conducted an analytical survey on 2,000 cases (including gastric patients and healthy people) over the past three years and found that smoking can increase the risk of gastric cancer by 48%. The longer the smoking history, the greater the daily consumption, and the younger the age of starting to smoke, the higher the risk. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of gastric cancer by 82%.
When young people get together or in social interactions, offering cigarettes and alcohol is almost inevitable. It can be said that smoking and drinking have become an important means for modern young people in their lives, work, and social interactions. And precisely for this reason, gastric cancer, which was originally more common in middle-aged and elderly people, has started to affect young people. Clinical observation data in China shows that the number of young and middle-aged gastric cancer patients is increasing. The proportion of gastric cancer patients aged 19-35 has increased from 1.7% in the 1970s to 3.3% now, nearly doubling in over 30 years. Due to the high malignancy and rapid progression of gastric cancer in young people, coupled with a high rate of misdiagnosis, gastric cancer is often diagnosed in the middle or late stages, leading to poor treatment outcomes and shorter patient survival times. World Health Organization statistics show that China's gastric cancer incidence rate is second only to Japan in the world, and the number of patients accounts for 42% of the global total.
Experts remind that once stomach discomfort occurs, it is crucial to seek early specialized examination at a regular hospital, which is the most effective means for early detection of gastric cancer. Once diagnosed with gastric cancer, prompt treatment at a regular hospital capable of providing care is key to a cure. In addition, routine stomach care should also be emphasized. Eating late-night snacks can easily lead to gastric cancer.
Young people are prone to gastric cancer, which is closely related to their lifestyle and work habits. The most common point is that young people like to stay up late, and naturally develop the habit of eating late-night snacks. In fact, this is very harmful.
Professor Kitaada Hideo, a Japanese scholar, found through long-term medical research that eating late-night snacks can easily trigger gastric cancer. They investigated the dietary habits of people in the 30-40 age group and found that among gastric cancer patients, 38.4% had irregular dinner times.
Why does eating late-night snacks easily lead to gastric cancer? Firstly, the lifespan of gastric mucosal epithelial cells is very short, needing to renew and regenerate every 2-3 days. This regeneration and repair process usually occurs when the gastrointestinal tract is at rest during the night. If one often eats at night, the gastrointestinal tract cannot get the necessary rest, and its mucosal repair cannot proceed smoothly. Secondly, when sleeping at night, the late-night snack stays in the stomach for a long time, which can promote the secretion of a large amount of gastric juice, irritating the gastric mucosa. Over time, this can easily lead to gastric mucosal erosion, ulcers, and weakened resistance. If the food contains carcinogens, such as frequently eating fried, grilled, pan-fried, or cured foods, and it stays in the stomach for a long time, it is more likely to adversely affect the mucosa, leading to gastric cancer.
In addition, experts also point out that besides smoking and excessive drinking, other bad habits have also become risk factors for young people to develop gastric cancer. To save time, eating too quickly or overeating often加重加重 the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Young people's love for hot pot and "malatang" (spicy hot pot) also creates conditions for the occurrence of gastric cancer. Irregular life: eating erratically, often skipping breakfast, sometimes overeating, plus often working late at night, an irregular life provides a "good" environment for the onset of gastric cancer. Be alert: Five early signs of gastric cancer
The evolution from a normal stomach to gastric cancer goes through a relatively long stage. Generally, the development period of a rapidly progressing type of gastric cancer takes 7-8 years, while the common type can be as long as 20-22 years. And it takes another 3-5 years for early gastric cancer to progress to middle or late stage. As long as people pay sufficient attention, there is enough time to prevent gastric cancer. However, surveys have found that most gastric cancer patients are diagnosed in the middle or late stages, mainly because few people undergo gastroscopy during health check-ups. Experts recommend that people over 40 should have regular gastroscopy, especially those with chronic stomach diseases.
Furthermore, the onset of gastric cancer also has traces to follow. If the following five symptoms appear, they could be early signs of gastric cancer, and one must go to the hospital for further examination to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
Stomach pain: Initially, one may only feel discomfort in the upper abdomen, or have a bloated, heavy feeling. Sometimes there is a dull pain in the epigastric region, often mistaken for gastritis or ulcer disease. Especially for cancer of the gastric antrum, it can often cause changes in duodenal function, leading to rhythmic pain that is more similar to the symptoms of an ulcer.
Loss of appetite: Often accompanied by weight loss and fatigue, this is the first symptom of gastric cancer in about 40% of cases. Many patients often limit their food intake because of bloating and belching after meals, leading to a gradual weight loss.
Nausea and vomiting: In the early stages, there may only be postprandial fullness and nausea. This symptom is often caused by tumor-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Bleeding and black stools: This symptom occurs in 20% of early gastric cancer patients. Elderly patients with no history of stomach disease should be vigilant about the possibility of gastric cancer if they experience black stools.
Deep tenderness in the upper abdomen: Sometimes accompanied by mild muscle tension, but it is often the only sign of early gastric cancer. Quit: Habits that harm the stomach
As the saying goes, "cancer enters through the mouth". Some unhealthy eating habits are also "culprits" that induce gastric cancer, so it is essential to develop good eating habits.
Smoke less and do not drink excessively: When smoking, a small amount of smoke can enter the stomach, and even the intestines, along with swallowing actions. This smoke directly contacts the gastrointestinal mucosa, and the nicotine in the smoke can directly irritate the gastric mucosa, destroy the gastric mucosal barrier, promote gastritis and gastric ulcer formation, and delay their healing. A severe, long-lasting gastric ulcer is also one of the precancerous lesions of gastric cancer. Smoke that enters the respiratory tract, after direct contact with the respiratory mucosa, its harmful components can be absorbed into the blood, thereby damaging the blood vessels in the stomach. Smoking is one of the risk factors for gastric cancer, so quitting smoking is very important for preventing gastric cancer.
Frequent excessive drinking can cause the stomach to suffer continuous malignant stimulation from ethanol, especially high-alcohol-content spirits. Indulging in drinking is extremely harmful, easily causing chronic stomach inflammation and inducing gastric and duodenal ulcers. If stomach diseases are then ignored and drinking continues, it can easily aggravate stomach conditions, leading to severe hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa, and ultimately causing gastric cancer.
Avoid processed meats: Swedish scientists have stated that eating too many processed meat products, such as bacon, sausages, and smoked meats, increases the risk of gastric cancer. After evaluating 15 research studies, they found that for every 30 grams increase in the daily intake of processed meat products, the risk of gastric cancer increases by 15%-38%. This is because processed meat products are usually cured, smoked, or have nitrates added to extend their shelf life, and this is precisely what leads to an increase in the incidence of gastric cancer.
Refuse fast food: The fried foods in fast food are relatively crispy and hard. If hard fried food is swallowed without being chewed thoroughly, when the stomach contracts and the food comes into contact with the gastric mucosa, the hard food can directly damage the gastric mucosa. If the gastric mucosa cannot be repaired in time, it can lead to inflammation, ulcers, and other problems. For patients with stomach diseases, it will worsen the condition.