Diet and stomach cancer incidence a case–control study in Turkey

Abstract

A case-control study of diet and stomach cancer was conducted in Ankara, Turkey, between December 1987 and March 1988. One hundred patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach were matched with 100 control subjects according to age, sex, and residential area. A dietary questionnaire was administered to all subjects by one of the authors. Gastric cancer patients consumed less fresh fruit and yellow-green vegetables (P < 0.0001) and meats (P < 0.001), and more salted food (P < 0.001), condiments (P < 0.0001), and salt (P < 0.001) compared with the control group. Twenty-four percent of the gastric cancer patients and 4% of the controls had no refrigerator (P < 0.0001). There was no difference between the two groups with regard to the consumption of starches, fried foods, cereals, milk, dairy products, tea, alcohol, and tobacco. Stomach cancer patients brushed their teeth less frequently (P < 0.0001) and had more deficient teeth (P < 0.0001) compared with the control group.