Epidemiology of esophageal cancer.

The incidence of cancer of the oesophagus is high in India but not as high as the rates reported from the Caspian Littoral of Iran. Incidence data available for three places in India--Bombay, Madras, and Bangalore--show regional variations. In Bombay, the rates for males are high compared to Madras and Bangalore. A case control study of 503 oesophageal cancer cases in males and 634 controls registered at the Tata Memorial Hospital during the period 1980-84 was carried out to determine the association of oesophageal cancer with two types of dietary practices, viz., vegetarian and non-vegetarian, in addition to tobacco and alcohol habits. In the presence of an alcohol habit, the relative risk for tobacco chewing and smoking was observed to be high in the non-vegetarian group compared to the vegetarian group. A vegetarian diet was protective. Further studies are suggested to confirm this finding.