[Strategy to reduce esophageal cancer by dietary reformation].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE From 1920 to 1940, many people were affected by esophageal carcinoma in villages in the mountains of Nara Prefecture in Japan. However, a movement for the improvement of living conditions, especially concerning food, diminished the incidence of cancer of the esophagus. Today Xinjiang in China, esophageal cancer is also one of the main causes of death. Therefore, we analyzed in Xinjiang whether the improvement of dietary habits can reduce mortality of esophageal cancer. METHODS The mortality of esophageal cancer and related matters obtained from the Japanese Literature and Governmental Information, Xinjiang Medical School Cancer Center Hospital, and the Chinese Literature were analyzed. RESULTS The Kazaks have a higher incidence of esophageal cancer and a lower male/female ratio than other ethnic groups and Japanese people. Kazaks eat very hot meals rapidly, and male Kazaks are more likely to drink hard liquors. In Japan, people in regions with high alcohol consumption tend to have increased mortality of esophageal cancer, but regions with high smoking rates show no correlation with esophageal cancer mortality. There were no data relevant to the incidence of esophageal cancer and alcohol consumption or smoking rates in Xinjiang. The male mortality rate in Nara Prefecture was much higher than that in other areas in the 1930s, but it decreased gradually and eventually reached national levels. The female mortality rate in Nara decreased at a sluggish pace, but retained a several-fold incidence rate until the 1980s. In 1995, women in Nara reached the national level at last. The male/female ratio was low in Nara all the time, and alcohol consumption in Nara was low, too. CONCLUSION Recently, it has been indicated that alcohol consumption is strongly related to esophageal cancer. However, women in Xinjiang do not drink strong liquor at all. One of their causes of esophageal cancer is dietary habits, which concerns both genders. Therefore, the incidence of esophageal carcinoma could be reduced by dietary reform in Xinjiang, where women as well as the overall population have a high incidence of esophageal carcinoma.