THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CANCER OF THE PANCREAS: IS THERE A MISSING DIETARY FACTOR? CAN IT BE REVERSED?

There has been a disturbing increase in the incidence of pancreas cancer, especially in Western countries, during the present century. The only well‐established aetiological factor of well‐documented significance is the greater incidence of this cancer in tobacco smokers of all communities. Otherwis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery 1999-05, Vol.69 (5), p.331-335
Main Author: Stephens, Frederick O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asian diets
Australia - epidemiology
breast cancer
Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology
Breast Neoplasms - etiology
Continental Population Groups
Diet
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
pancreas cancer
Pancreatic Neoplasms - epidemiology
Pancreatic Neoplasms - etiology
Pancreatic Neoplasms - genetics
phyto-oestrogens
plant hormones
prostate cancer
Prostatic Neoplasms - epidemiology
Prostatic Neoplasms - etiology
Sex Factors
Smoking
soy
United States - epidemiology
Western diets
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Summary:There has been a disturbing increase in the incidence of pancreas cancer, especially in Western countries, during the present century. The only well‐established aetiological factor of well‐documented significance is the greater incidence of this cancer in tobacco smokers of all communities. Otherwise the reason for the increased incidence is not known but the pattern of increase has some similarities to the increased incidence of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men in Western communities. There is now well‐documented evidence that the increase in breast and prostate cancers is at least partly related to diet. Typical modern Western diets have a low content of the naturally occurring plant hormones, the phyto‐oestrogens, that are still plentiful in traditional diets of Asians and other communities with a low incidence of both breast and prostate cancer. This paper presents evidence to support the hypothesis that the increased incidence of pancreas cancer in Western communities may also be related to the relatively low dietary content and protective qualities of the naturally occurring plant hormones and related compounds. This paper presents evidence to support that hypothesis.
ISSN:0004-8682
1445-2197
DOI:10.1046/j.1440-1622.1999.01567.x