Innovation of refrigeration leading to better food preservation has led to decrease incidence of which of the following malignancies?
Ans is 'd' i.e. Stomach "This sharp decline (in gastric cancer) during the 20th century remains an unexplained yet staling phenomenon. The leading theories to explain this change concern the advent of refrigeration and infection with Helicobacter pylori." Int. J. Epidemiol. (2001) 30 (1):181-182 Stomach cancer used to be the most common cause of cancer deaths in the early pa of the century. During the later half of the century a dramatic decline in the cancer incidence without any planned intervention was noted. Two major reasons have been advocated for this: 1. H. pylori infection: decrease incidence of H. pylori due to improved hygine and effective drugs. 2. Refrigeration: Refrigerators improved storage of food, thereby reducing intake of salt-based preserved food (high in nitrites and carcinogenic nitrosamines). Refrigeration also allowed for fresh food and vegetables to be more readily available, which are a valuable source of antioxidants impoant for cancer prevention. Salt-preserved foods and dietary nitrite found in preserved food are potentially carcinogenic. Intake of salted food may increase the risk of H pylori infection and act synergistically to promote the development of gastric cancer.
Esophagus
Colon
Oropharyngeal
Stomach