[A review of gastric cancer and life style]

Descriptive epidemiology of gastric cancer reveals remarkable decline in incidence and mortality rates in recent years in many countries of the world and suggests important roles of dietary factors in its etiology. Cigarette smoking appears one of the risk factors. Case-control and cohort studies, on the whole, show risk increase associated with intake of high salt foods (salted fish and pickles) and risk decrease associated with the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. These associations are, in part, supported by experimental studies. Further evidence should be sought by improving the methods in assessing dietary intake.