Women who spend more than 14 hours a week watching television are more likely to suffer from colon cancer. According to a JNCI Cancer Spectrum study, the risk of colorectal cancer was most markedly increased..
What is the connection between cancer and TV?
Colorectal cancer is rare at the beginning of the 20th century in people under the age of 45 years. The number of patients who develop colon cancer at a younger age is significantly increasing.
According to scientific estimates, in the United States in the 80s there was a significant increase in the incidence of malignant bowel disease in young people.
Cancer is usually detected too late, and it seems to be more prone to aggressive growth. Therefore, the American Cancer Society has reduced the age limit for cancer screening to 45 years last year.
An increase in the number of cases of cancer in the rectum indicates a lack of physical activity. People who move a little have a long passage of feces through the intestines. They are 7 times more likely to suffer from constipation.
American scientists have studied the relationship between sedentary work and bowel cancer. In a study, researchers from 1989 studied a group of 116,430 nurses. Of these, after an average follow-up time of 13.9 years, 118 under the age of 50 years had intestinal cancer.
Nurses have been interviewed about their physical activity several times over the years.
Watching TV was the best option for evaluating sedentary work, as the professional differences between the nurses were not strong.
Television was also a marker of an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
Among women who watched TV more than 14 hours a week, there were more smokers. Among them, more cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes were detected.
The longer you watch TV, the higher your risk of cancer.
Even after taking into account various factors, the duration of television viewing was a marker of an increased risk of malignant bowel disease. Compared to women who spent 7 hours a week, the risk of colon tumor was 69% higher.
The study was one of the first to reveal a link between TV and an increase in bowel cancer. There were no smartphones or tablets during the study period.
It should be feared that the time it takes to display a screen other than television also increases the risk. According to scientists, people who love TV should participate in screening at an earlier age.
The risk of malignant disease increased to 70%
The results showed that more than one hour of television per day was associated with a 12% increased risk of developing cancer. Participants who spent less time watching television were less likely to suffer from cancer.
According to scientists, if women spent more than 120 minutes a day watching television, the risk even increased to almost 70%.
The results remained the same even after taking into account the body mass index and physical activity. Doctors also found that the relationship between sitting time and colorectal cancer was higher than in comparison with colon cancer.
Young people are also at risk
A sedentary lifestyle after 55 years is a new risk factor for cancer, but its role is almost unknown in young people. Current research has for the first time associated sedentary behaviors with an increased risk of developing malignant diseases in people under 45 years of age.
Research can help identify individuals at high risk for colon cancer who may benefit more from early screening.
Diagnosing cancer at an early stage helps to increase life expectancy. In the initial stages, some malignant tumors are treatable.
The results of the study did not depend on the weight and mobility of the patient. This suggests that a sedentary lifestyle can be a completely different risk factor for development. In the United States and around the world, the incidence of early colon cancer is increasing.
On the other hand, cancer rates in the elderly have plummeted, mainly due to screening initiatives. Therefore, doctors recommend that young sedentary people be examined more often.
