Montreal General Hospital's thoracic surgery department and the Clinical Center of the Shaanxi Lung Cancer Research Institute recently released information indicating that lung cancer does not spread through infection. The coincidence of both Feng Feifei and her husband being diagnosed with lung cancer has led to public curiosity about whether lung cancer can be contagious. Professor Qiao Xiatong from the thoracic surgery department at the Guangzhou Military Region General Hospital explained that lung cancer is not infectious, but it may appear as a "spousal cancer" due to shared living environments and habits.
The clustering of cancer cases within families or relatives is often attributed to the interaction of internal and external factors. If certain genetic mechanisms are present in an individual, exposure to toxic or harmful environments increases the likelihood of developing cancer. Genetic predisposition plays a significant role, such as in the case of Feng Feifei and her brother having cancer, which might be linked to their shared familial genetic background. Although family members may not all develop lung cancer, they have a significantly higher risk compared to the general population.
Environmental factors and lifestyle habits, such as home renovation pollution and kitchen fumes, are important contributors to the development of lung cancer. The occurrence of "spousal cancer" could also be related to long-term shared living environments and habits. Additionally, living in a stressful atmosphere, strained marital relationships, and lack of harmony may act as triggers for "spousal cancer," as negative emotions can activate potential carcinogenic factors in the body.
Certain groups should be highly vigilant about lung cancer. For men over 50 who smoke, they are considered high-risk individuals. Even if their wives do not necessarily need excessive worry, their children should still pay attention. Individuals with a family history of lung cancer should avoid harmful environments and unhealthy lifestyles to prevent the onset of lung cancer. Patients with chronic lung diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, and pulmonary fibrosis have a 2-4 times higher chance of developing lung cancer compared to the general population.
Non-smokers and women have seen an increase in lung cancer incidence rates. While smoking remains a major cause of lung cancer, non-smokers, especially women, should not overlook this disease. Professor Qiao pointed out that with the success of tobacco control in Eastern countries, recent years have shown a new trend: although there are more smokers among lung cancer patients, the incidence rate of lung cancer in non-smokers, particularly women, has been increasing.
"The impact of environmental factors, such as car exhaust, agricultural emissions, and the recent widely discussed PM2.5 leading to a decline in air quality, may increase the incidence of lung cancer," said Professor Qiao. Statistics from 1979 to 1998 showed that female lung cancer accounted for 37% of total lung cancer cases. In the past decade, this proportion has continued to rise, possibly due to prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke, kitchen fumes, and air pollution. The increase in adenocarcinoma of the lung serves as a significant warning, especially since most female lung cancer cases are adenocarcinomas, which account for half of all lung cancers. Moreover, even younger women in their thirties and forties are increasingly being diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.
Early detection of lung cancer relies on physical examinations. Lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer globally and also has one of the highest mortality rates. According to statistics, ten years ago, 200,000 people in our country died from lung cancer annually. With the current growth rate of lung cancer incidence, by 2030, 2-3 million people in our country will die from lung cancer each year. Why is the survival rate of lung cancer so low? Because 80% of lung cancer cases are already in advanced stages when detected. Not only has the tumor affected the lungs, but it has also spread throughout the body. Without proper treatment, the average survival time for these advanced-stage patients is only around eight months.
Professor Qiao emphasized that early symptoms of lung cancer, such as coughing, hemoptysis, swelling, chest wall pain, and nerve damage, are not specific and usually occur in later stages, making them easy to overlook. The only way to detect lung cancer early is through routine physical examinations. For young individuals, an annual chest X-ray can detect lung cancer larger than 1 cm. High-risk individuals are advised to undergo low-dose chest CT scans annually, which can detect lung cancer as small as 0.5-1 cm.
It is crucial to seek medical treatment promptly upon discovering a tumor. Some people, due to concerns about identity or career, refuse to acknowledge their lung cancer diagnosis or distrust modern medicine, turning instead to unverified remedies from so-called "masters." This delays the best opportunity for treatment.
(Edited by Wang Huiliang)