Geographic distribution of the incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and other malignancies in nagasaki prefecture, Japan.
BACKGROUND
It remains unclear whether human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) infection is associated with an increased risk of malignancies other than adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.


METHODS
The authors investigated the geographic distribution of the incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and other malignancies in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, where HTLV-I is endemic. The world age-standardized incidence rates of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and five cancers of other sites were calculated in 15 areas, using the data from the Nagasaki Prefectural Cancer Registry (1985-97).


RESULTS
The incidence of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma was found to be positively correlated with that of biliary tract cancer in men (person-years-weighted r = 0.49, P = 0.06) and liver cancer in women (r = 0.56, P = 0.03), but not with cancer of the stomach, lung or cervix uteri.


CONCLUSIONS
The results may not support the hypothesis that HTLV-I infection is strongly associated with an increased risk of cancer of the stomach, lung or cervix uteri. The association between HTLV-I infection and cancer of the biliary tract and the possible interaction between hepatitis C virus and HTLV-I in the development of liver cancer should be evaluated by prospective cohort studies.
Arisawa
Kokichi
K
Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
Soda
Midori
M
Shirahama
Satoshi
S
Saito
Hiroshi
H
Takamura
Noboru
N
Yamaguchi
Maki
M
Odagiri
Kazumasa
K
Nakagoe
Tohru
T
Suyama
Akihiko
A
Doi
Hiroshi
H
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology