Besides being crucial in emergencies, knowing your blood type could also play a role in managing long-term health conditions—particularly cancer, according to some experts.

A 2015 study suggested that only one of the four blood types was linked to a lower risk of developing certain types of cancer. But which one?

How to Find Out Your Blood Type

Interestingly, this isn’t something an NHS staff member will typically inform you about when taking your blood. In fact, most people only learn their blood type when undergoing medical treatment for a specific condition.

There are four main blood groups:

• A
• B
• AB
• O

Each of these can be classified as either positive or negative, depending on the presence of a protein called the Rh factor. This means you could be A-positive, B-negative, O-negative, AB-positive, and so on.

Which Blood Type Has a Lower Cancer Risk?

Over the years, researchers have explored whether certain blood types influence the likelihood of developing specific diseases.

For instance, recent reports suggest that people with Type O blood may have a lower risk of heart disease. This could be linked to the fact that other blood types carry certain clotting factors that contribute to blood thickening.

Unfortunately for individuals with Types A, B, and AB, studies have found a higher correlation between these blood groups and an increased risk of stomach cancer. The 2015 study indicated that Type O blood was associated with a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with stomach cancer, though it’s important to note that no significant link was found between blood type and cancer survival rates.

A similar pattern was observed in pancreatic cancer, where Types A, B, and AB were found to have an elevated risk.

On the other hand, Type O blood has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

Dr. Sanjay Aggarwal, a general physician at the Holistic Healthcare Centre in Delhi, recently commented: “It may be more accurate to say people with type O blood are at a lower risk for pancreatic cancer, given the work researchers are doing on bacterial infection.”