Large-Bowel Cancer in Hawaiian Japanese2

Study of 179 Japanese patients with bowel cancer and 357 hospital controls in Hawaii revealed excess risks for persons who regularly ate Western-style meals only. The similarity in findings for Issei and Nisei sharply contrasts with results previously reported for stomach cancer in Issei and Nisei, where the reduced risk among persons regularly eating Western-style meals only was limited to the second-generation Nisei. Bowel cancer was associated with consumption of specific foods. Bowel cancer patients ate meats, legumes, and starches more frequently, with the case-control disparity being less pronounced for individuals consuming starches than for those eating meat and legumes. Beef and string beans were the major contributors to the meat and legume effects. There seemed to be separate effects for beef, string beans, and starches, and the case-control contrasts were strengthened when various combinations of foods were considered. Points of consistency between the Hawaii study and other evidence were noted. The findings on beef had the most immediate relevance. These results may narrow the area of search for etiologic factors and thus assist in planning future research on the complex sequence of events leading to bowel cancer.