[Clinical and genetic study on human cancer--gastric cancer]

The relationship between gastrointestinal cancers and genetic influence was investigated. The subjects examined were 1211 cancer cases and 781 non-cancer cases registered to the 1st Department of Surgery of Kagoshima University Hospital from 1972 to 1980. The results were as follows: 1. Malignant cases were found in 266/1211 (22.0%) in the families of cancer probandus. Incidence was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than that [130/781 (16.6%)] in those of non-cancer probandus. 2. Malignant cases were found in 79/356 (22.2%) in the families of gastric cancer probandus and in 51/189 (27.0%) in those of colo-rectal cancer probandus. 3. The relationship between cancer probandus and malignant cases in the families was classified according to the vertical relationship (grandparents-parents-uncle and aunt-probandus-children) and the horizontal relationship (probandus-siblings-cousin). 4. Incidence in the vertical relationships (159/266: 59.8%) was higher than that in the horizontal relationships (107/266: 40.2%). Incidence of the vertical relationships of female cancer probandus (gastric cancer: 70.4%, esophageal cancer: 55.7%, clorectal cancer: 73.9%) was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than that in those of male cancer probandus. 5. Incidence of blood B type in male gastric cancer group tended to be less when compared with the control group (P less than 0.05). 6. Incidence of smoking habits in esophageal cancer group (82.2%) and the lung cancer group (63.4%) was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than that in the control group (46.0%). 7. Incidence of drinking habits in the male esophageal cancer group (84.2%) was significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than that in the control group (53.0%).