Diet and mortality from malignant disease in 32 countries

ABSTRACT

W.H.O. mortality figures for 26 different types of malignant disease taken from 32 countries were correlated with data on the composition of the diet, as well as with certain indices reflecting aspects of general development, for those of the 32 countries for which they were available. For a majority of tumors the results were negative, but most showed a strong association with dietary factors. These included a positive correlation with the national consumption of fats and oils, total calories, and sugar, and a negative correlation with cereal consumption. For malignant tumours the rectum, breast, prostate, skin, nervous system, and bladder, and for leukaemia, lymphosarcoma and multiple myeloma, the probability of this association occurring by chance was less than 1 in 1,000. In seven cases the relationship with dietary factors was of a similar order to that of arteriosclerotic and degenerative heart disease. For all of the 18 separate types associated with diet, the correlation was higher than with the indices of general development,i.e., gross national product, newsprint consumption, percentage of the population engaged in agricultue and infant mortality. (AU)