Introduction

Stomach cancer is the second most common type of cancer worldwide. It is a particularly pressing health problem in some developing countries and in some parts of Europe. Despite advances in treatments, the prognosis for those diagnosed with stomach cancer remains grim. On average, only one in five individuals survive five years. Scientists have known for some time that certain foods can increase or decrease the risk of stomach cancer. A study in a recent issue the journal Cancer adds to what is known about the relationship between diet and this deadly disease.

The latest analysis

Italian researchers identified 382 men and women with stomach cancer who had participated in a cancer-related study in the late 1980s. They gathered information already collected on these people--medical history, diet history (a record of usual food intake in the year prior to diagnosis), income level, smoking history--and then kept track of them for the next ten years. The goal was to see what effect, if any, diet had on how long the men and women lived after their disease was diagnosed.

The researchers found that "heavy drinkers" were more likely to die over the ten years of observation than people who consumed lesser amounts of alcohol. A high intake of vitamin E, on the other hand, appeared to provide some protection from the disease. There was an even more pronounced connection between diet and cancer mortality among people with a strong family history of stomach cancer. In this subgroup of individuals, intake of fat from vegetable sources greatly decreased risk of mortality, while high intakes of animal fat and animal protein appeared to increase risk.

There are some limitations to this study. We don't, for instance, know how much alcohol those in the "high intake" group consumed. Nor do we know what kind of vegetable oil the people used, although, since the study was done in Italy, we can assume that olive oil figured prominently in their diets. Even so, this study does suggest that dietary factors, including alcohol consumption, vitamin E intake, the type and amount of fat, and levels of protein in the diet all had some effect on the progression of stomach cancer in these people.

Prudent advice to consumers

As with all kinds of cancer, stomach cancer is likely triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some environmental factors, like pollution and radiation, are hard to dodge, but diet is one of those factors that people can modify to reduce their risk of disease. The diet advice that consumers can derive from this study mirrors the current dietary guidelines outlined by the American Cancer Society:

Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and include whole grain breads and cereals in your diet.

Limit your intake of high-fat foods, especially from animal sources

Be physically active; maintain a healthy weight

Limit consumption of alcohol to no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.