Diet in the epidemiology of gastric cancer.

We examined the nutritional epidemiology of gastric cancer in 293 cases and neighborhood-, age-, and sex-matched controls in communities throughout the counties of Niagara, Monroe, and Erie in western New York. The interview was highly detailed, requiring two and one-half hours to complete; it attempted to provide an estimate of total calories ingested as well as of macro- and micronutrients and behaviors that could affect alimentary exposures, such as the use of refrigeration. We found that risk was enhanced by sodium, fat, and retinol. Substantial reductions in risk were associated with ingestion of carotene, especially raw vegetables (including celery, cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, and onions), as well as with increased use of low-temperature food storage. Both refrigeration and carotene could inhibit oxidation products that could act as carcinogens in the stomach.