In fact, this is a very interesting question, and Dr. Clove will briefly talk about it today.
I. How many more years can we live if we eliminate cancer?
It would take a lot of statistics to answer this question carefully, and I'm guessing people's scalps would go numb before they even started counting.
But we can be totally lazy and simplify this to another calculation question:
What is the average life expectancy (X) for people who die not of cancer?
If we did eliminate cancer, everyone's life expectancy should be close to X.
Unfortunately, this data is not directly available either.
But it's not difficult to roughly estimate this life expectancy, as long as you know 3 numbers: the average life expectancy of the entire population (T), the percentage of people who die from cancer (B), and the average life expectancy of people who die from cancer (C). The calculation would be C * B + X * (1 - B) = T.
In 2013, for example, for Americans, T = 78.5 years, B = 22.5%, and C = 72.
The math tells us that the average life expectancy for those who died of something other than cancer (X) = 80.4 years.
That is, if there were no cancer in the United States now, the average life expectancy for the entire population would go from 78.5 years to 80.4 years, an increase of only 1.9 years!
As for China, I don't have access to certain data so I can't do the math, but I'm guessing the number wouldn't be very large either.
Second, since the impact is not significant, is there any point in eradicating cancer?
Of course it makes sense.
In fact, if you think about it, you will realize that there are too many health killers in the human race, and in fact, cancer only accounts for less than 1 / 4, so even if we eliminate cancer, the impact will not be very big.
Is it worth it for scientists to spend their whole life working against cancer?
Dr. Clove thinks it's worth it. While the average increase in life expectancy for all of humanity is limited, if you look at it from the patient's point of view, it's a very different story.
For example, for an American patient whose average life expectancy could be extended to 80.4 years if cancer is conquered, that's an extra 80.4 - 72 = 8.4 years.
In fact, that doesn't even count the psychological value to patients and their families; letting them know that there is a cure and giving them hope to live may be priceless alone.
Additionally, attacking different cancers can have different effects on a patient's life expectancy.
For example:
The average age of death for a brain tumor patient is 64, and if it could be eradicated, the patient's life expectancy could be extended by 80.4 - 64 = 16.4 years.
The average age of death for patients with soft tissue tumors is only 59 years; if it were eliminated, patients would live 80.4 - 59 = 21.4 years longer.
These types of cancer, which significantly affect middle-aged and even young patients, are a top priority for cancer research and new drug development.
Third, is there a way to extend life beyond eradicating cancer?
Of course there is. Dr. Clove would like to reveal the answer by comparing the situation in Japan and the United States.
At present, the average life expectancy in Japan is 83.1 years, ranking first in the world. The average life expectancy in the United States is 78.5 years, which is lower than that of the Japanese, but their per-capita healthcare expenditures are three times higher than those of Japan.
Why is this? One of the main reasons is lifestyle differences.
As we all know, the U.S., in addition to being the world's largest economy, also produces a lot of fat people, and obesity brings with it a variety of chronic diseases that consume a great deal of U.S. health care resources and reduce life expectancy.
Japan, on the other hand, has a higher degree of acceptance of healthy lifestyles from the government to its citizens than the United States, and a better medical insurance system, so it's no wonder that the average life expectancy is longer.
The average life expectancy in China is 76.1 years, which is still a long way from the average in both countries.
It's impossible to change the economic and technological level in the short term, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is an effective way for the average person to live longer.
Balanced meals, quitting smoking and drinking, exercising actively and paying attention to medical checkups are just some of the unassuming habits that can prolong life.
The key is that most of these good habits will also help you save money, so why not?
Experts: Li Zhizhong 丨the excellent author of Dr. Ding Xiang; Editor: Li Bad.