The recession of gastric cancer and its possible causes

The paper re-examines the hypothesis that excessively hot drinks constitute an important risk factor in the causation of gastric cancer. The recession of gastric cancer mortality rates in the United States in recent decades is attributed to dietary changes tending to supplant the traditional hot beverages. One such change was the appearance of domestic refrigerators, promoting iced drinks, another the popularisation of soft drinks. The example of Okinawa is quoted where in 1972, after 27 years of American administration, gastric cancer mortality rate was 11.3 per 100,000, in contrast to Japan's 46.7, presumably due to the introduction of American dietary habits. While in most Western European countries gastric cancer risk decreased in the last decades, there was little change in Eastern Europe, and rates were rising in some countries, like Portugal, Mexico and Hong-Kong. This is attributed to the increasing pollution of water, promoting its boiling and flovouring. In some countries water is disinfected by chlorination in which case boiling and flavouring may be used to mask the unpleasant smell and taste of disinfectant.