[Correlation between cancer mortality and alcohol-related mortality in a South-Hungarian village]

The author, who had former practical experience in the research-field of the medical statistics and alcohol-epidemiology, has collected the data of the total, and the cause-specific mortality continuously in the village where he has worked as the single GP from December 1986 to 1999. The village is located in the Great Hungarian Plain. It is an agricultural community, currently with population of 2042 inhabitants. The longevity in the village was above the national average. Total mortality and cause specific mortality in the village were calculated between January 1, 1987 and December 31, 1999. During the period, 503 people died. From these 278 (55.3%) were male, and 225 (44.7%) were female. 118 deaths, 23.5% of all deaths in the village were cancer-related. 67.7% (80 cases) of these were among males, and 32.3% (38 cases) among females. 40.7% (48 cases) of cancer-related deaths were attributable to gastrointestinal-tract cancers (ICD 10 C15-C26). The proportion of deaths which were directly or indirectly alcohol-related was 35.8% (180 cases) of the total mortality. In 50% (90 causes) of these deaths, the cause of death was one of the "especially characteristic death's cause of alcoholics". Proportion of alcohol-related-mortality attributable to cancer-related causes was high as 23.9% (43 cases); and vice versa: proportion of cancer-mortality attributable to alcohol-related causes was 36.4% (50% among males, and only 7.9% among females). Cancers of the cavity of mouth and pharynx as cause of death (6 cases) occurred only among alcohol-addicted males. The most important epidemiological conclusion is that the prevention of alcoholism/alcohol abuse is one of the most promising way for the prevention of (certain) cancers, too.