Socioeconomic status and education as risk determinants of gastrointestinal cancer

Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for cancers of the gastrointestinal tract in different socioeconomic and educational groups in Finland. The series constituted all patients with cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver (primary only), gallbladder, and pancreas recorded in the Finnish Cancer Registry in 1971-1975 (8,802 cases). Data on socioeconomic status and education were obtained from the records of the national census of December 31, 1970. Cancers of the colon and rectum were associated with high socioeconomic status and higher levels of education, cancers of the esophagus and stomach with lower classes. These associations are most likely to be mediated by dietary habits. No clear-cut association was found for other cancers.