A Case Control Study on Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer in Urban Shanghai

OBJECTIVE To examine the possible risk factors for stomach cancer among men and women in Shanghai, China.

METHODS In urban Shanghai, in-person interviews were completed for 311 cases newly diagnosed with stomach cancer of ages 30-74. Data were collected from April 1999 to October 1999 and compared to 1579 population-based controls (controls In three cancer studies used together). Information on demographic variables, smoking, diet consumption and others was collected from all subjects. Unconditional logistic regression was used to adjust the possible factors.

RESULTS Stomach cancer risk In men rose with smoking, eating hot and fried foods, chronic gastritis and a family history of gastric cancer among men; the risk among women was associated with the consumption of preserved, pickled and fried foods heavy drinking, chronic gastritis, a history of ulcer disease and a family history of gastric cancer. A dose-response relationship was found (trends test, P<0.01) among men smokers. In contrast, the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, beans (especially soybeans) and soy products, plant oil, and eggs and egg products, was Inversely associated with stomach cancer risk. After adjustment of the potential confounding variables, these associations remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide further evidence that smoking, eating salted foods (especially salted vegetables), oil-fried foods(including fried cereal, eggs, and peanuts), chronic gastritis, a family history of gastric cancer and so on Increase the risk of stomach carcinoma in Shanghai. Fresh vegetables and fruits, beans and soybean products (even after adjusted for use of fresh vegetables and fruits), plant oil, and so on may have protective effects.