Content Sources:
1. Trend Analysis of Global Gastric Cancer Incidence and Mortality, Journal of the World Health Organization, 2021.
2. Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies for Gastric Cancer, Chinese Journal of Digestion, 2020.
3. Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer, Chinese Journal of Practical Surgery, 2019.
Sister Zhang, 47, of Guiyang, is a single mother who often works two or three jobs a day in order to provide better living conditions for her children. She compresses the unnecessary time as much as possible every day, including eating, basically bringing meals and heating them in the microwave oven to reduce expenses.
In 2015, Sister Zhang received a physical examination notice from the community, and when she saw the price, she rejected it and said that she would have no problems in good health. However, this is not the case. In March, Sister Zhang frequently felt bloating pain in her upper abdomen, which lasted for three to five minutes each time, and then relieved on its own.
She didn't take these changes to heart, thinking that she was just too tired, and the situation was under control after a day or two of rest. In May, the temperature gradually rose, but Sister Zhang still maintained her usual lifestyle. At this point, the abdominal pain recurs, and it is much more intense than the last time.
When she came home from work that night, Sister Zhang thought that her children were also out of school, so she prepared a few fresh dishes. But as soon as it was served, the braised pork with thick oil and red sauce made her unbearable, and she ran directly to the toilet and vomited. Sister Zhang herself was puzzled, and she didn't understand what was going on, so she could only find the omeprazole she had purchased before and eat a few tablets.
The child watched Sister Zhang come out of the bathroom with a pale face, and hurriedly asked what was wrong. She is good at concealing it, and she never mentions her physical discomfort. This matter has been delayed again and again, during which Sister Zhang will take a painkiller when the pain is really unbearable, although it is a symptom but not a cure, but it can be regarded as a solution to the urgent need.
In late October, Sister Zhang was sent home by her colleagues, and her steps were still a little vain. It turned out that when he was working in the factory, he fainted due to physical exhaustion and fell to the ground. After waking up slowly, Sister Zhang began to panic in her heart, thinking about it carefully, it seems that some strange symptoms have appeared one after another for most of the year, and it is difficult to believe that there is no fear of the slightest problem.
But she has always been hard-mouthed, she still didn't put this matter at ease, stubbornly attributed it to being too tired and old, in short, various external factors have become her causes, and she has never paid attention to her real problems.
In July 16, Sister Zhang's skinny skin and bones were sunken, and the flesh on her cheeks was dented. At this time, the child had finished the college entrance examination, and the big stone in her heart finally landed, and at this time, Sister Zhang made up her mind to go to the hospital. After gastroscopy, advanced poorly differentiated antral adenocarcinoma was found, with extensive metastasis in the abdominal cavity.
This news was a bolt from the blue for Sister Zhang, and it was impossible to accept it in a short period of time. Looking at the report, Sister Zhang looked frightened, and then asked, "Why did it find me with this disease?" ”
Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in mainland China and one of the most common cancers in the world, ranking among the top cancer mortality rates in the world. According to recent statistics, there are about 1 million new cases of gastric cancer and about 783,000 deaths worldwide every year, indicating that the mortality rate of gastric cancer is still high.
The development of stomach cancer may be related to a number of factors, including long-term Helicobacter pylori infection, excessive consumption of pickled, smoked and high-salt foods, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. In addition, family history, certain genetic diseases, and the elderly are also at high risk of stomach cancer.
After understanding, the doctor believed that the disease was related to her diet. "This shouldn't be, I've always eaten some home-cooked food, and my children eat the same as me, so it can't be caused by diet." After saying that, Sister Zhang's nervousness was even worse, and she was a little unconfident in the second half of the story, after all, the child had not been checked.
At this time, Sister Zhang seemed to remember something, and suddenly talked about her habit of using the microwave to heat her meals. When the doctor heard this, his heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked: "It's not wrong to microwave the meal, but the problem is that you have these two bad habits, which makes stomach cancer come to your door!" ”
1. Use the microwave to heat leftovers
First of all, microwaving leftovers itself does not directly cause stomach cancer. However, improper heating may destroy the nutrients in the food and may produce some unhealthy compounds. For example, microwave heating may cause changes in the structure of proteins in food, producing isomeric amino acids and other compounds that can be harmful to humans.
In addition, heating certain starchy foods, such as potatoes and rice, at high temperatures may produce substances such as acrylamide, which have been shown to be carcinogenic in animal experiments. If these heated foods are not stored properly, they can also multiply bacteria and molds quickly, producing toxins and carcinogens such as aflatoxins. While these conditions are rare in everyday life, the potential health risks cannot be completely ignored.
2. Heating plastic lunch box products
Using plastic lunch boxes for microwave heating is a potential health problem. Many plastic products contain additives, such as phthalates and bisphenol A, chemicals that can be released from the lunch box and migrate into food at high temperatures.
There are also scientific studies that show that these chemicals have endocrine disrupting activity and may affect the body's hormone balance. For example, BPA has been shown to have estrogen-like activity that mimics natural estrogen in the body, interferes with the endocrine system, and is associated with a variety of health problems, including, but not limited to, reproductive health problems, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
While scientific evidence is insufficient for gastric cancer caused by heating plastic lunch boxes directly, the long-term potential health effects of these chemicals cannot be ignored.
In summary, although the direct evidence is not sufficient to determine that microwave leftovers and the use of plastic lunch boxes cause stomach cancer, irrational heating methods and improper container selection may affect food safety and increase the risk of disease.
In order to reduce the potential health risks, it is recommended to take the following measures: first, minimize the frequency of microwave heating leftovers, especially avoid heating starchy foods at high temperatures for a long time, so as to reduce the production of harmful substances; Second, when using a microwave oven, you should choose a container marked with the "microwave safe" logo, and avoid using plastic containers, especially plastic products containing BPA and phthalates, and choose glass or ceramic containers as a safer alternative.
In conclusion, the resulting health risks can be minimized through scientific and rational food heating methods and careful selection of safer food containers. More research is needed in the future to delve into the specific effects of microwave heating of food and the release of chemicals from plastics on human health, especially their potential links to cancer risk.