The World Cancer Research Fund in association with the American Institute
for Cancer Research has published an excellent review on food and cancer
(670 pages) [1] from which I quote:
"It has often been said that cancer was rare among gatherer-hunter and
pastoral peoples living in remote parts of the world, such as the
Himalayas, the Arctic and equatorial Africa, when these were first visited
by explorers and missionaries [2-4]. A summary of these early accounts can
be found in Cancer Wars [5]. Such accounts have been taken to mean that
cancer was generally rare in early history. The African explorer, Dr. David
Livingstone, suggested that cancer is a 'disease of civilisation' [6].
Practically nothing is known about rates of cancer until careful records
were first kept in Europe in the eighteenth century. These suggest that,
historically, cancer might have been a relatively uncommon disease."
Theoretical considerations by Eaton et al, based on calculated age at
menarche (16), age at birth of first child (19.5), duration of lactation
per child (2.9 years), number of children (6), and age at menopause (47),
in combination with beneficial dietary habits and much exercise, suggest
that cancers of breast, uterus and ovary were very uncommon among
hunter-gatherers [7].
1. Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective.
World Cancer Research Fund. 1997: 35.
2. Williams WR. The natural history of cancer, with special reference to
its causation and prevention. New York, William Wood, 1908.
3. Bulkley JL. Cancer among primitive tribes. Cancer 1927; 4: 289-95.
4. Scweitzer A. Preface to: Berglas A. Cancer. Paris, 1957.
5. Proctor RN. Cancer War: How politics shapes what we know and don't know
about cancer. New York, Basic Books, 1995.
6. Maugh TH. Cancer and environment: Higginson speaks out. Science 1979;
205: 1363-6.
7. Eaton SB, Pike MC, Short RV et al. Women's reproductive cancers in
evolutionary context. Quart Rev Biol 1994; 69: 353-67.
At 20.06 -0500 98-03-11, Jean-Louis Tu wrote:
>I was wondering if there was some data available on the prevalence of
>cancer in
>some H-G populations. Does anyone here have some references?
>
>Many thanks in advance,
>
>Jean-Louis Tu
>[log in to unmask]
Staffan Lindeberg, M.D. Ph.D.
Dept of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Mailing address:
Primary Health Care Centre, Sjobo, S-22738 Sweden, +46 416 28140, Fax +46
416 18395 <[log in to unmask]>
http://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/lindeberg/
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