[Geographic study of cancer of the stomach in Spain in relation to agricultural activities].
The Spanish provinces with the highest risk of gastric cancer (CG) are in the Castilian meseta, where grain raising predominates. In other countries, high risk areas also correspond to inland, high altitude regions, and in some cases, like Chile, abundant fertilizer consumption. The present study attempts to relate the risk of this tumor in Spain to different types of agricultural activity. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was calculated between the mortality rate due to gastric cancer in each of the 50 Spanish provinces and the different types of farming and cattle raising activities. The correlation with grain raising on nonirrigated land was positive and significant for mortality in both men (p less than 0.001) and women (p less than 0.01). The correlation between mortality from gastric cancer and cattle raising, particularly sheep, was also positive and significant in both sexes (p less than 0.001). The proportion of the irrigated and nonirrigated fields dedicated to fruit trees correlated negatively with mortality in both sexes, also with a significant difference (p less than 0.01). The authors suggest the need for further epidemiological investigation in Spain, particularly in areas of high risk of gastric cancer, to identify precisely the risk factors that could be related to agricultural activities.
Sanz Anquela
J M
JM
Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital General del INSALUD, Soria.
Ruiz Liso
J M
JM
Rodríguez Manzanilla
L
L
Alfaro Torres
J
J
Navarro Gracia
J F
JF
García Pérez
M A
MA
D000383:Agriculture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*
Estudio geográfico del cáncer gástrico en España en relación con actividades agrarias.