U.S. flag An official website of the United States government.
Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

i

On the etiology and metabolic epidemiology of the main human cancers



Select the Download button to view the document
Please click the download button to view the document.

Details

  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    We have presented an overview of the concepts that maintain that the etiologies of the main human cancers stem largely from our life-styles. The underlying mechanisms and supporting research developments have been discussed. Thus most cancers of the respiratory tract are due to excessive smoking. Prevention of these cancers hinges on educating the public about the hazards connected with this habit, not only with respect to the development of cancer of the lung, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder, but also with respect to myocardial infarction. In addition, those who cannot be induced to stop their cigarette habit should be convinced to smoke the lower tar cigarettes now available, since evidence is accumulating that these indeed have a lower risk. Furthermore, through managerial approaches to prevention, industry and government should collaborate further toward the production and preferential marketing of such lower risk cigarettes. Cancers of the endocrine-controlled organs-breast, prostate, ovary, and endometrium-and of the colon are largely associated with diet and, more specifically, with the high fat content of the diet. These concepts are underwritten not only by human data for colon and breast cancer but also by detailed studies with animal models in which approaches to the underlying mechanisms could be formulated. In addition, cancer of the pancreas is also associated, in part, with such dietary customs. Prevention of these cancers hinges on the development of altered dietary customs to lower fat consumption from the now prevailing level of 45 % of calories. One step in the right direction is the adoption of the "prudent diet," with about 33% of all calories as fat and less than 100 mg of cholesterol, recommended for the prevention of heart disease (Bennett and Simon 1973). However, to reduce the cancer risk, it may be necessary to lower the fat content further to 25-27% of all calories. Connor and Connor (1972) recommended a level of only 20% of calories. With respect to intestinal cancer especially, but perhaps to the other diet-related cancers as well, the questions of dietary fiber, of micronutrients such as vitamins A and E, or of minerals such as selenium require consideration and further research. The approach involving managerial prevention would have industry, in cooperation with agricultural and governmental agencies, produce and market foodstuffs that would permit the consumer to adopt the prudent diet, or even the lower fat diet, more readily and, in fact, automatically. Cancer of the stomach, already on the decline in the United States, is still the major cancer in western Latin America, the Orient, and northern and eastern Europe. This cancer may be prevented by increasing the consumption of foods high in vitamin C, by low-temperature food storage to prevent nitrite accumulation, and by controlling the use of nitrite as a preservative. If these measures are taken and if, in addition, the readily preventable occupational cancers are eliminated, we would enter an era where cancers of all types would no longer represent a major cause of death in man. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • ISBN:
    9780879691196
  • Publisher:
    Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Grant
  • Genre:
    Proceedings
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Division:
    DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Volume:
    4
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20046834
  • Citation:
    Origins of human cancer. Book A. Incidence of cancer in humans. Hiatt HH, Watson JD, Winsten JA, eds. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1977 Jan; 4:567-602
  • Editor(s):
    Hiatt HH; Watson JD; Winsten JA
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    1977
  • Performing Organization:
    American Health Foundation Hammond House Road Valhalla, N Y 10595
  • Peer Reviewed:
    False
  • Start Date:
    19751201
  • Source Full Name:
    Origins of human cancer. Book A. Incidence of cancer in humans
  • End Date:
    19811130
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:902c10d15539dc8f7f1178772af13726d2230a973aa8d7261750bd258e2fe05a4548580f836df2f6430bc4cc82f32686f99b70115bae8bce4e00c45964e1e952
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 14.06 MB ]
PREVIOUS
ON THIS PAGE
Details
CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners.

As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
BACK TO TOP