Members of extended families rarely get cancer. This factor reduces the risk of cancer for both women and men. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich with the use of data obtained from 178 countries. The results were published in BMC Cancer.
Worldwide, the incidence of different types of cancer was higher in small families.
This Association was independent of income, level of urbanization, and age, commented study author Professor Maciej, Hennenberg (Maciej Henneberg).
The authors found that not only the number of core families (children and parents) plays a role, the value is the number of resident members of the family. The second indicator, having a negative correlation with the incidence of cancer, was the number of children born to one mother in a lifetime.
Among the types of cancer, reducing the morbidity which is discovered in large families, brain cancer lung, stomach, breast, ovary, cervix, and melanoma.
The protective properties of the family are more expressive for men than for women. It was the unexpected find of the researchers, since it is known that women have many types of cancer develop less frequently with a larger number of pregnancies.
The relationship of health men fertility their partners and family size can be explained. Family, though, and can bring some anxiety, creates a certain emotional climate, which may increase resistance to disease, the researchers said. People have adapted to life in a particular family structure for many thousands of years. The present study shows that family members help each other lead a more healthy lifestyle that protects against cancer.
Ukrainian Andrei