Wu Zunyou died of pancreatic cancer. How dangerous is this "king of cancer"?

On October 27, Wu Zunyou, a well-known public health expert and chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 60.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wu Zunyou was always on standby because there were always tasks to be done. In addition to the high-intensity work, he was also under pressure inside.

▲During the epidemic, Wu Zunyou experienced "three years of gray hair". (Photo source: Internet)

According to investigation, Wu Zunyou's latest post on his personal Weibo was on April 2 this year. At that time, influenza was prevalent, but he still gave everyone health tips.

Public information shows that Wu Zunyou was born in Huangshan, Anhui in June 1963. In 1980, he took the college entrance examination and was admitted to the Health Department of Anhui Medical University, where he obtained a bachelor's and master's degree. After graduating in 1988, Wu Zunyou went to work at the Anhui Provincial Epidemic Prevention Station.

From 1991 to 1992, Wu Zunyou studied in the Department of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and obtained a master's degree; from 1992 to 1995, he studied in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles and obtained a doctorate degree.

After graduating with a doctorate, Wu Zunyou returned to China and began to work on AIDS prevention and treatment. In 2003, he also participated in the prevention and treatment of SARS.

In 2005, Wu Zunyou was appointed director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for STD and AIDS. In April 2017, he was appointed chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the beginning of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Wu Zunyou participated in the frontline work of China's COVID-19 prevention and control and became well-known to the public.

In January 2023, Wu Zunyou was elected as a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Pancreatic cancer: the king of cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a disease that most people are afraid of. It cannot be treated with surgery or medication, and the patient will die within a few months after diagnosis. It has an insidious onset, is difficult to diagnose in the early stages, progresses rapidly, and has a short survival time. It is one of the malignant tumors with the worst prognosis and is known as the "king of cancers." Steve Jobs, the "Father of Apple," and Nobel Prize winner Steinman both died of different types of pancreatic cancer (for example, Jobs suffered from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor). The famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti and Hong Kong star Lydia Shum also lost their lives to pancreatic cancer.

What are the causes of pancreatic cancer? How can it be prevented?

In 2019, the National Cancer Center estimated that 100,000 people died of pancreatic cancer, and during the same period, more than 100,000 people were newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, with an annual death to new cases ratio of more than 90%. About 80% of patients are diagnosed in the late stage and are inoperable, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%.

At present, the exact cause and mechanism of pancreatic cancer are still unclear. The known high-risk factors are: long-term smoking, advanced age (over 65 years old), obesity, chronic pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes, family history of pancreatic cancer, etc. Friends with the above high-risk factors need to undergo liver, gallbladder and pancreas B-ultrasound examinations and tumor markers including CA19-9 during annual physical examinations. If abnormalities are found, it is necessary to go to the general surgery or hepatobiliary and pancreatic specialist clinic for a follow-up visit, and further enhance CT or enhance MRI examinations. For some patients with clear pancreatic tumors, it is recommended that the follow-up period can be further shortened to 6 months or even 3 months. The specific recommendations of the specialist shall prevail, and you must not be careless. We recommend that everyone develop good living habits, quit smoking or not smoke, eat a reasonable diet, strengthen exercise to control weight, and have a detailed physical examination at least once a year.

Is pancreatic cancer hereditary or contagious?

Except for a few diseases such as familial pancreatitis, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, familial malignant melanoma, etc., which have a genetic tendency to pancreatic cancer, it is generally believed that pancreatic cancer is not inherited or contagious. If a first-degree relative in the family, such as a parent, has pancreatic cancer, the risk of their children or siblings developing pancreatic cancer is significantly higher than that of normal people. It is recommended to undergo pancreatic cancer screening and monitoring before the age of 40.

Why is pancreatic cancer already in the late stage once it is discovered?

Why is pancreatic cancer so dangerous? How can you minimize your risk? A long chart explains this cancer.

Source: Economic Observer, Beijing Youth Daily, Beijing Radio and Television, Red Star News, Life Times, etc.