International  Journal of Epidemiology 24(1): 33-41 1995

"Dietary Factors and Stomach Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Korea"

Background. Stomach cancer is the most common cancer among Koreans. There
is wide agreement that dietary factors are important in gastric
carcinogenesis, but the role of many Korean food items remains unknown.

Methods. A case-control investigation involving 213 incident cases of
histologically confirmed stomach cancer and an equal number of controls,
matched by age (within 2 years) and sex, was conducted from June 1990  to
October 1991.

Results. An increased risk of stomach cancer was noted among those with
high consumption of stewed foods such as soybean paste stew and hot
pepper-soybean stew, broiled fish, and those who liked salty food. However,
mung bean pancake, tofu (soybean curd), cabbage, spinach, and sesame oil
decreased the risk of stomach cancer. Stratified analysis by salt in
combined foods, such as stewed foods and pickled vegetables, disclosed salt
as being an important risk factor. Analysis of cooking methods showed that
broiling and salting increased the risk of stomach cancer, but that frying
tended to decrease the risk. These suggest that the cooking method might
modify the gastric carcinogenicity of foods. As non-dietary factors,
smoking and a family history of stomach cancer increased the risk, but use
of a refrigerator decreased the risk of cancer.

Conclusions. Heavy salt consumption and cooking methods like broiling and
salting seem to play to play a major role in gastric carcinogenesis among
Koreans.