Poor lifestyle habits play an important role in the development of gastric cancer. Numerous studies have shown that smoking and alcohol consumption are associated with an increased risk of developing gastric cancer.
Smoking increases the risk of gastric cancer
Studies have shown that about 18% of gastric cancer cases may be related to smoking, and that smokers have a significantly increased risk of developing gastric cancer compared to nonsmokers. Moreover, the risk of gastric cancer increased with the duration of smoking and with the amount of cigarettes smoked per day.
So, how does smoking increase the risk of stomach cancer? The study found that cyclic aromatic compounds, nitroso compounds, epoxides and other carcinogens contained in tobacco may enter the stomach with saliva and increase the risk of gastric cancer by damaging the gastric mucosal barrier, inducing chemotaxis (transformation into another type of cell), and damaging oncogenes, leading to carcinogenesis of gastric mucosal cells. The risk of H. pylori infection is about 11 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers, which also greatly increases the risk of gastric cancer.
Smoking can increase the risk of gastric cancer in multiple ways, at multiple levels, and in multiple ways, and has become one of the important risk factors for the development of gastric cancer.
Excessive alcohol consumption may be associated with gastric cancer development
Long-term excessive alcohol consumption may also be an important risk factor for the development of gastric cancer. Excessive alcohol consumption can not only damage the mechanical barrier of the gastric mucosa and trigger chronic inflammation, but also provide a more suitable living environment for Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, exacerbating its damage to the gastric mucosa. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption may also cause other organ dysfunction and lead to disease, such as alcoholic liver, cirrhosis, acute pancreatitis, etc.
There is still controversy as to whether alcohol consumption directly increases the incidence of gastric cancer. Some studies have shown that heavy drinkers have a significantly higher risk of gastric cancer compared to non-drinkers. Some studies have also shown that drinking within a certain range does not increase the risk of gastric cancer, but when drinking more than 50g/day, the risk of gastric cancer begins to increase, and as the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the risk of developing it. The findings of our scholars show that alcohol consumption is not an independent risk factor for gastric cancer, and there is no significant correlation between the occurrence of gastric cancer and alcohol consumption. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify the direct relationship between alcohol consumption and gastric cancer occurrence.
In general, one should develop good habits in daily life and try to quit smoking and limit alcohol, which can help reduce the risk of gastric cancer. (Contributed by Jingxu Sun, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University)