title: [Genetic epidemiology of esophageal cancer: 10-year follow-up of 622 positive families in Yangcheng County].
abstract: Follow-up survey of 622 esophageal cancer (EC) positive families found during 1978-1979 was carried out in 1989 in a total of 5037 families. During this period (1978-1988), 35.8% of new EC deaths were found from 393 families with two or more EC deaths which accounted for only 7.8% (393/5037) of the total families. When the EC positive families were divided into three groups with 1, 2 and greater than or equal to 3 EC deaths in each, the EC deaths among offsprings of EC free parents were 6.7%, 11.1%, and 15.7% respectively. Offsprings from households with one parent died of EC belonging to family groups with 2 or greater than or equal to 3 EC deaths had different EC frequencies (9.5% versus 22.8%). In 184 families with greater than or equal to 3 EC deaths, offsprings from households with one or both parents died of EC showed also higher EC mortality (22.8% and 22.7% respectively) than those from households with EC free parents (15.7%). These results pointed to a strong tendency of familial aggregation of EC and the existence of genetically determined susceptibility to this human malignancy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires