The social situation of parents affects the development of oncology in children
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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For a long time scientists have noticed an interesting regularity, according to which there is a connection between the development of certain types of cancer tumors and the social status of a person. Thus, in people born in families with a certain socioeconomic status, there is an increased risk of development of cancer in the period of adulthood.
American scientists representing the University of Utah (Salt Lake City) have been conducting studies for decades to prevent the risk of cancer in people at increased risk.
University staff made an unambiguous conclusion after a long time watching the statistics of life expectancy and the incidence of people who were born in the period 40-60 years. The last century - it was at this time in the document of birth began to indicate the type of activity and professional identity of the parents of the baby. Scientists took into account, first of all, the social status and financial situation of the Americans born at that time.
The conducted studies helped specialists to determine whether the social and financial situation of the family could affect the health of the offspring and become a risk factor in the development of various cancer processes.
It was found that the conditions in which the child spent his childhood, significantly affect the likelihood of cardiovascular pathologies, endocrine diseases and other problems, including cancer.
After the life circumstances of forty thousand Americans were carefully evaluated, the specialists made an important conclusion: the availability of financial prosperity and quality living conditions, contrary to forecasts, actually increase the risk of development of cancer processes. Although the proportion of cancer tumors in such generations is significantly lower than the rate of occurrence of strokes or diabetes mellitus.
Moreover, the regularity in localization of malignant foci was determined:
- children from rich families in some cases could get skin, prostate and breast cancer;
- children from poor families often had cancer of the uterus.
Malignant lesions, such as lung or intestinal cancer, could appear at all, regardless of the conditions under which the child was born and brought up. Scientists associate such diseases more with smoking and eating habits of a person.
At the moment, medical specialists decide whether it is possible to use the data obtained during the experiment in order to prevent or predict the likelihood of oncological disease in the population. It is possible that soon the doctors, listening to the patient's complaints, will collect additional information about what level of income was at his parents, and in what conditions his childhood passed. If this strategy works, then measures to prevent malignant neoplasms will become much more effective, and the incidence of cancer will decrease.