Can you tell your risk of cancer by looking at your blood type? If you have this blood type, you really need to pay attention!

We all know that people have ABO blood types. Typically, we can find out our blood type by having a blood test at the hospital. However, most people don’t pay much attention to their blood type, as, apart from the need for blood transfusions, it seems to have little significance for our health.

However, in recent years, statements like “blood type can predict lifespan” and “different blood types have different cancer risks” have caught public attention. In fact, as early as the 1950s and 1960s, researchers had noticed a potential connection between ABO blood types and cancer.

Due to limited research conditions and insufficient samples, the relationship between blood type and cancer has never been conclusively proven scientifically.

Today, researchers have not given up on studying the relationship between blood type and cancer. Moreover, numerous studies with large samples have increasingly shown intricate connections.

Today, the family doctor will list some information on the connection between blood types and cancer. It’s essential to note that research has sample size and probability issues, and having a certain blood type does not necessarily mean one will develop a specific cancer. Nonetheless, focusing on health and preventing diseases is always the primary goal.

Research finds O-type blood is relatively “safe”

A comprehensive study has provided a glimpse into the relationship between blood type and cancer.

This study is comprehensive, covering the past 60 years, including 30 countries, with 100,554 cancer patients and 30 cancer types.

The study found that people with O-type blood have an overall cancer risk 0.84 times lower than those with non-O-type blood, meaning their cancer risk is reduced by 16%.

Specifically, compared to non-O-type individuals, people with O-type blood have a 16% lower risk of stomach cancer, a higher reduction in risk for pancreatic and ovarian cancers (25% and 24%, respectively), and a reduction of over 10% in breast and colorectal cancers. Esophageal cancer risk decreases by 6%, and nasopharyngeal cancer risk decreases by 19%.

Regarding the notorious “king of tumors,” pancreatic cancer, a study by the European Institute of Oncology in 2010, covering 15,359 cancer patients from 2000 to 2003, found a significant relationship between O-type blood and exocrine pancreatic cancer.

This relationship is evident in a 20-47% relative reduction in the risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer for individuals with O-type blood compared to other types.

Research on cancer prognosis also indicates that gastric cancer patients with O-type blood have a higher 5-year survival rate, and overall survival rates for O-type blood patients who underwent surgery for localized renal cell carcinoma and breast cancer may also be higher.

A-type blood and AB-type blood should pay more attention to cancer prevention

In the comprehensive study mentioned earlier, the overall cancer risk for A-type blood is 1.12 times that of non-A-type blood, indicating a 12% increased cancer risk. Among individuals with AB-type blood, males have a higher risk of cancer.

Specifically, compared to non-A-type individuals, A-type individuals have a higher risk of developing stomach cancer (18% increase), breast cancer (12% increase), ovarian cancer (16% increase), and nasopharyngeal cancer (17% increase), with a more pronounced 23% increase in pancreatic cancer. However, A-type individuals seem to have a lower risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma.

In this study covering 30 countries, it is shown that the Chinese population with AB-type blood has an increased risk of liver cancer, but the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma is lower for individuals with AB-type blood.

Overall, the Chinese population with B-type blood has a relatively lower risk of developing most cancers compared to A-type and AB-type individuals, especially for stomach and colorectal cancers.

Different blood types and their connections to diseases

In Chinese studies, researchers have found clues suggesting that ABO blood types have certain connections not only with cancer but also with other health conditions.

In July 2021, Dr. Yang Qing, Chief Physician of the Cardiology Department at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, published an article after extensive research, indicating a relationship between blood type and certain diseases.

For instance, research suggests that people with A-type blood have a higher proportion in populations with liver cirrhosis, diabetes, acute spinal cord inflammation, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. People with B-type blood have a higher incidence of tuberculosis and diabetes.

Among all blood types, individuals with AB-type blood have the highest proportion of allergic asthma. Notably, the likelihood of individuals with AB-type blood developing schizophrenia is more than three times higher than other blood types.

People with O-type blood have a higher likelihood of being Helicobacter pylori positive. However, overall, individuals with O-type blood have significantly lower rates of major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer compared to other blood types.

However, research on the relationship between blood types and diseases, including lifespan, is still in the preliminary stage. From a scientific perspective, there is currently no study or comprehensive literature that can definitively prove that a particular blood type is necessarily associated with specific diseases. Therefore, by providing information from these research papers, we aim to remind everyone to always pay attention to health issues, maintain a balanced and regular lifestyle, and prevent diseases as much as possible.