No abstract

SUMMARY.-Comparison between the age-adjusted death rates in 1964465 from cancers of different sites and the annual consumption of cigarettes, solid fuel, tea and coffee as measured by trade statistics in 20 countries reveals the existence of significant correlations.Cigarette consumption per adult in the population is positively related with lung and bladder cancer in males and insignificantly with lung in females. Negative relations are indicated with the liver and biliary passages, prostate and uterus.Solid fuel is positively related with the intestine, lung and bladder in both sexes, with leukaemia in males and with breast in females. Negative associations are indicated with the stomach.Tea is positively related with intestine except rectum in both sexes and with larynx, lung and breast in females. Negative associations are indicated with the stomach in both sexes and with uterus and leukaemia in females.Coffee is positively related with the pancreas, prostate and leukaemia in males and with ovary and leukaemia in females.Specially noteworthy were the contrasts between the intestine and stomach in their associations with solid fuel, cigarettes and tea for which a possible explanation has been suggested.IF a carcinogenic substance is present in a commodity which has for a long time been imported and consumed by the population of a country it is reasonable to expect that the average consumption per person over a period of years would show some relation to the death rate from cancer in organs peculiarly susceptible to that carcinogen.Having devoted during 45 years much time to the epidemiology of cancer with particular reference to possible extrinsic factors which might be concerned with causation, I agree with a statement by Burrows (1969) that " Despite the great effort on cancer research our progress towards an understanding of today's major medical problem continues to be disappointingly slow ". In such a situation no stone should be left unturned in the search for clues, however unpromising it may seem. One recalls how radium was discovered, after successive extractions of vast quantities of uranium-bearing ores, in an insignificant stain noticed in the vessel from which the final extraction had been made.It may seem to sophisticated epidemiologists rather naive to suppose that at this stage any useful clues are likely to be obtained by looking at the death-rates in 20 countries and comparing them with rates of national consumption of a few common commodities. The number of other factors such as mixed heredity and an uneven distribution within the country is large, but at least we are dealing,

The articles published by the Annals of Eugenics (1925–1954) have been made available online as an historical archive intended for scholarly use. The work of eugenicists was often pervaded by prejudice against racial, ethnic and disabled groups. The online publication of this material for scholarly research purposes is not an endorsement of those views nor a promotion of eugenics in any way.

No abstract

No abstract