In recent years
The incidence of cancer has been on the rise
Xhich inevitably causes fear in people
Even when you feel perfectly healthy
How can cancer strike so suddenly?
In fact
Cancer doesn’t appear overnight
It often goes through a stage of precancerous lesions
Which is a slow developmental process
What Are Precancerous Lesions
Many people think that precancerous lesions are the early stages of cancer, but that’s not true. Precancerous lesions refer to a pathological diagnosis, indicating that if this condition continues to progress, it may develop into cancer. In most cases, it takes years or even decades for precancerous lesions to progress into cancer.
Therefore, when precancerous lesions appear in the body, it’s crucial to pay attention and intervene early to potentially prevent cancer from developing.
What Are the Common Precancerous Lesions for Cancers?
01 Stomach Cancer – Atrophic Gastritis
It is generally believed that Helicobacter pylori reaches the gastric mucosa through the mouth, settles, and causes infection. After a few weeks or months, it may lead to chronic superficial gastritis, which, after several years or even decades, can develop into duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, and chronic atrophic gastritis. Chronic atrophic gastritis is the most dangerous factor leading to stomach cancer.
The most common cause of atrophic gastritis is Helicobacter pylori infection, which is a high-risk factor for stomach cancer. Although having atrophic gastritis does not necessarily mean it will progress to stomach cancer, people with atrophic gastritis are indeed in the high-risk group for developing stomach cancer.
Once diagnosed with atrophic gastritis, it is essential to undergo active treatment, especially for those infected with Helicobacter pylori.
02 Gastrointestinal Cancer – Gastrointestinal Polyps
Many gastrointestinal cancers evolve from polyps, especially adenomatous colon polyps, which have a higher rate of cancerous transformation.
Gastrointestinal polyps refer to any visible overgrowth of tissue on the surface of the gastrointestinal mucosa that protrudes into the cavity. Polyps include adenomatous polyps, inflammatory polyps, hyperplastic polyps, and hamartomatous polyps. As adenomatous polyps grow in size, their cancerous transformation rate also increases. Therefore, once polyps are detected, even small adenomas should be removed promptly.
03 Liver Cancer – Cirrhosis
“Many patients with cirrhosis are those whose liver disease has lingered for a long time without effective treatment.” Liver disease patients often believe that no symptoms mean it’s not serious and treatment isn’t necessary. Or they just take some liver-protecting medicine and let the disease progress. By the time it develops into late-stage cirrhosis, it’s too late for regret.
Liver cancer generally follows this process: hepatitis – cirrhosis – liver cancer. If hepatitis is well controlled, cirrhosis and liver cancer can be avoided. Therefore, liver disease patients must prioritize regular check-ups and treatment.
04 Cervical Cancer - Chronic Cervicitis
Cervicitis is generally classified into acute and chronic types, with chronic cervicitis having a certain relationship with cervical cancer. Chronic cervicitis is mostly caused by infection after childbirth, miscarriage, or surgical damage to the cervix, where pathogens invade. It can present in various forms, such as cervical erosion, cervical hypertrophy, cervical polyps, cervical gland cysts, and cervical ectropion. It does not mean that all patients with cervicitis will develop cervical cancer; however, if patients with chronic cervicitis are persistently infected with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), they are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer. The high-risk HPV types refer specifically to HPV16 and HPV18.
05 Colorectal Cancer - Ulcerative Colitis
There are many classifications of colitis. It is important to emphasize that not all types of colitis will progress to cancer, but if it is chronic ulcerative colitis, it deserves serious attention. Studies have shown that patients with ulcerative colitis have a significantly increased risk of malignant tumors.
Many patients with ulcerative colitis do not pay enough attention to their condition, often taking medication intermittently without proper treatment, addressing only the symptoms rather than the root cause, leading to recurrent inflammation and ultimately inducing cancer.
Therefore, it is crucial for those with ulcerative colitis to take their condition seriously and seek proper treatment.
06 Pancreatic Cancer - Chronic Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is also a very common disease; many people know that acute pancreatitis can be excruciating. However, many do not realize that if pancreatitis is not treated and prevented properly, it can develop into chronic pancreatitis. If chronic pancreatitis recurs, it repeatedly damages the pancreatic tissue, significantly increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Thus, if pancreatitis is detected, it is essential to seek active treatment and to take preventive measures in daily life to prevent recurrences of pancreatitis.
07 Oral Cancer - Long-lasting Oral Ulcers
Persistent oral ulcers may be precursors to oral cancer. In addition, conditions such as mucosal erythema, leukoplakia, submucosal fibrosis, and warty hyperplasia may also be considered precursors to oral cancer. If precancerous lesions are not treated over a long period or if the source of irritation remains—such as residual tooth roots or dentures—there is a high likelihood that these lesions may transform into oral cancer.
08 Melanoma - Junctional Nevi
Junctional nevi typically occur in friction-prone areas such as palms, soles, and the vulva, and have a higher potential for malignant transformation compared to other nevi.
If a nevus is found to have an irregular shape, fuzzy borders, uneven color, becomes blurred, or gradually enlarges, and the skin shows slight elevation or thickening, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly, as this often indicates a trend towards precancerous changes.
Precancerous lesions are not cancer, nor do they inevitably turn into cancer, so there is no need for fear, but one should not be complacent. Close attention should be paid, and early treatment should be sought.
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Source | Science Popularization China
Editor | Huang Fei