ARE RICH PEOPLE AT GREATER GENETIC RISK FOR CANCER?

A new, large study out of Finland suggests that people with good jobs have a greater genetic risk for cancer, especially breast and prostate cancers. These findings challenge the long-held belief that people struggling with poverty are more likely to have higher rates of cancer.

For this study, genetic, health and socioeconomic (defined as educational achievement and occupation, not income) information from 280,000 adults over 35 was used to assess the risks for 19 diseases. The researchers collected the data from a Finnish genomic project that analyzes biobank and national registry records.

They found that less-educated people have a greater genetic susceptibility to developing rheumatoid arthritis, lung cancer, depression, alcoholism and Type 2 diabetes, whereas those who are better educated are at greater risk for breast and prostate cancers.

Researchers have long said that low-income people shoulder an unequal cancer burden, in part, because they are more likely to be uninsured and face limited access to prevention, screening and treatment services.

Dr. Fiona Hagenbeek said her research highlights a link between socioeconomic status, genetics and cancer incidence, but she has not formally investigated it.

She hypothesized to The Post that people with more means have better access to health care, including screenings, greater health literacy and are less likely to engage in risky behavior like smoking and alcohol abuse. Age is also a factor.

“The higher cancer incidence among individuals with high socioeconomic status might reflect that these individuals haven’t died from another cause at a younger age and became old enough to develop cancer,” Hagenbeek told The Post.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 310,000 US women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and there will be nearly 300,000 new cases of prostate cancer.

By Tracy Swartz /// nypost.com