A medical study in Israel has found that Holocaust survivors have a higher risk of developing cancer than the rest of the population, possibly as a result of hardships endured. The study, published in the ‘Journal of the National Cancer Institute’, suggests that stress or other factors such as extreme deprivation may play a role in triggering cancer. Researchers led by Lital Keinan-Boker at the University of Haifa in Israel compared cancer rates for two groups of European-born Israeli Jews: 258,048 who left Europe after the war and 57,496 who emigrated before or during the conflict.
Both groups have higher incidence rates for cancer than other Jewish and non-Jewish ethnic groups in Israel. The researchers found that Jews who spent World War II in Europe were at least 17 percent more likely to develop cancer than those who left before or during the war. The scientists said that the results of their study were significant because most Jews who survived the war in Europe were also victims of the Holocaust. "These observations may have direct impact on the health of World War Two Jewish survivors and thus the care required from their caregivers in Israel and elsewhere," Keinan-Boker said.
Both groups have higher incidence rates for cancer than other Jewish and non-Jewish ethnic groups in Israel. The researchers found that Jews who spent World War II in Europe were at least 17 percent more likely to develop cancer than those who left before or during the war. The scientists said that the results of their study were significant because most Jews who survived the war in Europe were also victims of the Holocaust. "These observations may have direct impact on the health of World War Two Jewish survivors and thus the care required from their caregivers in Israel and elsewhere," Keinan-Boker said.
