Not only because of stress: in Ukraine after the war, the risk of cancer will increase - oncologist

According to the expert, it is difficult to predict what the situation will occur in Ukraine after the fighting, but the experience of other countries that survived the war shows that the threat level is high. The full -scale war in Ukraine has a negative impact on the health of Ukrainians. All because of the explosions, dangerous carcinogens enter the air. The soil and water also contains more and more harmful substances.

The oncologist Alexei Kovalev in an interview with RBC-Ukraine told more about it. According to him, long -term forecasts about the frequency of oncology in Ukrainians through hostilities can only be based on the experience of war in other countries. "And it can be expected that in the coming years in Ukraine there may be a significant increase in the incidence of lung cancer, nasopharynx, larynx, stomach, testicles, liver, pancreas, cervix, breast, prostate," - said Alexei Kovalev.

As an example, a specialist gave a war in Iraq, where mortality from cancer in the population of cities with intense bombing increased exactly half - by 50%. In the first three years after the end of the war, doctors were increasingly recorded in people of breast cancer, cervix, lungs, bronchi, bladder, skin, stomach, testicles and leukemia. In Yugoslavia, during the 13 years after the war, breast cancer has increased from 68 to 80 cases per 100,000 people.

Therefore, the oncologist continues, Ukrainians need to be aware of how the war can affect the health of the population. It is necessary to prevent waves of cancer. "This is still difficult to prove, but cancer can be caused not only by the effects of carcinogens but also by stress. Chronic stress leads to insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety, depression, and to an increased risk of cardiovascular, mental illness and cancer" , - continued Alexey Kovalev.

By the way, because of the stress experienced, people can begin to form bad habits, including alcoholism and smoking, and these are risk factors for cancer. We will remind, on January 25 it was reported that 2024 can be a record in cases of cancer. Science is not in place and develops in every possible way the scope of diagnosis and treatment of oncology, but global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, played on the hand of the disease, and in 2024 we can particularly felt their consequences.