Environmental Impacting Factors Digestive Tract Cancer Death Rate in High Cancer Incidence Area of Central China

Objective To explore the relationship between environmental factors and digestive tract cancers in China by comparing the life style and the situation of environmental pollution in high and low incidence areas.

Methods A river basin in central China with a high incidence of digestive tract cancer was selected as the study area. The sanitary status of drinking water, food hygiene and eating habits, living environment, the use of pesticides and fertilizers in 3475 households of 767 villages was evaluated by questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and the clustering of digestive tract cancers.

Result Characteristics on the hygienic status of drinking water, family toilet, wastewater discharge system and the usage of pesticides between digestive tract cancer clustering area and low incidence area were different statistically.

Conclusion Drinking water without treatment, using non-sanitary toilet, discharging wastewater freely and increasing usage of pesticide were environmental factors causing the clustering of digestive tract cancers in the study area.