Relationship Between Risk Factors and Dietary Intake of Oesophageal Cancer Patients

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in many developed and developing countries of the world. It has thus become major public health problem in the world. Nearly 35-40% of cancers in India are related tobacco chewing. The present study was conducted at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore and Bangalore Institute of Oncology, Bangalore. The subjects of the study were totally 150 from both the hospitals. An attempt has been made to determine the risk factors for oesophageal cancer. The results showed that smoking was high (90.8%) in case of males followed by alcohol consumption (57.4%) while in females chewing betel and tobacco was higher (84.1%) than male subjects (45.9%). Majority of the patients were non vegetarians (previously) and 96.5 per cent of males and 93.6 per cent of the females were vegetarians. Regarding different stages of dysphagia majority of the patients in both (57.3%) were suffering from dysphagia stage III and 38% of the patients in both were suffering from dysphagia stage II and only 4.6% of the patients in both cancer were suffering from dysphagia stage IV. The mean intake of nutrients in both male and female patients were much below the RDA except for calcium. There was a significant difference at 1% level for all nutrients except calcium. The mean per cent adequacy for all nutrients were very less except calcium. Hence, it can be said that tobacco chewing, smoking and alcoholism are the major risk factors. Among alcohol users, smokers and chewers, majority of the patients had BMI less than 16 (CED grade III) i.e., 20.6, 29.8 and 26 per cent respectively when compared to non alcoholics, non-smokers and non-chewers.