Total lipid extracts of erythrocyte cell membranes from 60 patients with documented malignancies, 41 patients with various acute and chronic diseases, and 40 healthy subjects were analysed. The results were expressed as ratios of stearic to oleic acid, reflecting the diegree of desaturation of stearic acid. The mean ratios for the healthy subjects and controls without cancer were 1-5 (SD 0 27) and 1 45 (0 28), respectively, whereas the ratios for patients with malignancies were consistently lower than the cut off point of 1-0, with a mean of 0 69 (0-15) (p <0 001). The desaturation ratio was also significantly lower (p <0 001) in the group with recurrent tumours (mean 0 75 (0 04)) compared with those with no evidence of recurrent tumours (mean 1-55 (0 27)).It is suggested that the increased unsaturation (oleic acid) in the circulating erythrocytes may be useful in the diagnosis and postoperative monitoring of patients with cancer.

Background It is known that there are ethnic differences in cancer in New Zealand between Maori (the indigenous people) and non-Maori, however, until now no regional comparisons have been made. Study design A retrospective study of patients diagnosed at Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand between 1995 and 1997 with gastric or colonic cancer was combined with population data from the 1996 census for Whangarei District to calculate incidence figures. The incidence of cancer was compared to national rates. Results Between 1995 and 1997, 19 Maori and 24 non-Maori were diagnosed with gastric cancer, and 10 Maori and 125 non-Maori with colonic cancer. The age standardised rates (per 100 000) for Maori and non-Maori with gastric caner were 68.3 and 7.9 respectively. Gastric cancer is known to be increased in the Maori, but in Whangarei was significantly higher than the national Maori rates (20.5). There was no difference in the rate of colonic cancer in the Maori and non-Maori in Whangarei, again this differs from the national trends, in which the Maori are protected against cancer. Conclusion This study highlights that there is still much more to be learnt in understanding the aetiology of gastrointestinal cancers, to explain such strong regional differences.

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