Irina Noskova

Athens Medical Center, Greece

Title: Longevity and Cancer: Who You Are, Where You Live, How You Live

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Biography

Irina Noskova, RN, MSc, is Oncology Board Secretary at Athens Medical Center – Palaio Faliro (Athens Medical Group) and Founder & Director of HealthSupport Greece, a home-nursing and medical support service. She holds a BSc in Nursing and an MSc in Nursing & Economic Sciences from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Tourism Economics at the University of Piraeus. With 20+ peer-reviewed publications in surgical oncology and peritoneal surface malignancies, she has presented at PSOGI congresses in Venice and Barcelona and speaks Russian, Greek, and English at C2 level.

Abstract

Background: Cancer is increasingly recognized not as an invariably fatal disease but as a manageable chronic condition for a growing proportion of patients. The present narrative review addresses cancer risk and longevity through a tripartite framework: Who You Are (genetic and epigenetic constitution), Where You Live (environmental exposures), and How You Live (lifestyle behaviors and psychological state).

Methods: Narrative review of PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library (2000–2026), encompassing molecular oncology, environmental epidemiology, lifestyle medicine, psycho-neuroendocrinology, and modern therapeutics.

Key Results: (1) Carcinogenesis is driven by oncogene activation, tumor suppressor inactivation, and epigenetic dysregulation amplified by aging. Telomere shortening links longevity biology to tumor development. (2) Ionizing radiation, dioxins, asbestos, agricultural nitrates, air pollution, and circadian disruption through night-shift work constitute documented environmental carcinogens with population-level impact. (3) Mediterranean dietary adherence is associated with up to 12% reduction in cancer incidence and improved survival across multiple tumor types. Obesity and type 2 diabetes share carcinogenic pathways — hyperinsulinemia, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress — creating a 2–3-fold excess risk for hepatic, pancreatic and uterine cancers. (4) Chronic psychological stress activates the HPA axis and sympathetic nervous system, suppressing NK-cell cytotoxicity, promoting tumor angiogenesis via VEGF, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. Psychosocial interventions (CBT, MBSR) significantly reduce cortisol and improve immune function in cancer patients. (5) Modern immunotherapy (anti-PD-1/CTLA-4) has raised five-year melanoma survival from 16% to ~50%; CAR-T therapy yields decade-long remissions in hematological malignancies; BCR::ABL1 inhibitors grant near-normal life expectancy in CML — collectively establishing cancer as a chronic disease comparable to diabetes.

Conclusion: A comprehensive longevity strategy must integrate genetic awareness, environmental risk reduction, Mediterranean lifestyle principles, stress management, and access to modern oncological therapies. Cancer is no longer synonymous with death — it demands long-term management, empowered patients, and health systems redesigned around chronic care.