Abstract
To examine what kinds of factors could have caused the geographic variation observed in lung cancer morbidity in Japan, a correlation study was performed comparing various regional traits. The same study was also conducted on large intestinal cancer, aiming to distinguish the possible urban factors associated with both cancers. Lung cancer was highly correlated with industrialization‐related factors such as localization of manufacturing industries, automobile traffic and air pollution, whereas colon cancer was correlated with the population density of workers in the tertiary industries such as services, trade and government. A multiple regression analysis could not detect any single factor with an exceptionally strong influence on either cancer. The present findings suggest that the hazardous environmental condition of urban areas has, to some extent, contributed to the recent increase of lung cancer cases in this country.
Keywords: Lung cancer, Colon cancer, Cancer registry, Geographic correlation, Air pollution
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (549.9 KB).
References
- 1).Tominaga , S.Epidemiology of respiratory cancer in Japan . In “ Current Status of Cancer Research in Asia, The Middle East and Other Countries ,” ed. Wada T. , Aoki K. and Yachi A. , pp . 173 – 179 ( 1987. ). The University of Nagoya Press; , Nagoya . [Google Scholar]
- 2).Weinberg , G. B. , Kuller , L. H. and Redmond , C. K.The relationship between the geographic distribution of lung cancer incidence and cigarette smoking in Allegheny . Am. J. Epidemiol. , 115 , 40 – 58 ( 1982. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3).Hammond , E. and Horn , D.Smoking and death rates . J. Am. Med. Assoc. , 166 , 1294 – 1308 ( 1958. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4).Haenszel , W. , Loveland , D. and Sirken , M.Lung cancer mortality as related to residence and smoking histories. I. White males . J. Natl. Cancer Inst. , 28 , 947 – 1001 ( 1962. ). [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 5).Buell , P.Relative impact of smoking and air pollution on lung cancer . Arch. Environ. Health , 15 , 291 – 297 ( 1967. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6).Carnow , B. W. and Meier , P.Air pollution and pulmonary cancer . Arch. Environ. Health , 27 , 207 – 218 ( 1973. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7).Blot , W. J. , Brinton , L. A. , Fraumeni , J. F. and Stone , B. J.Cancer mortality in U.S. counties with petroleum industries . Science , 198 , 51 – 53 ( 1977. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 8).Weiss , W.Lung cancer mortality and urban air pollution . Am. J. Public Health , 68 , 773 – 775 ( 1978. ). [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9).Gottlieb , M. S. , Pickle , L. W. , Blot , W. J. and Fraumeni , J. F.Lung cancer in Louisiana: death certificate analysis . J. Natl. Cancer Inst. , 63 , 1131 – 1137 ( 1979. ). [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 10).Vena , J. E.Air pollution as a risk factor in lung cancer . Am. J. Epidemiol. , 116 , 42 – 56 ( 1982. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 11).Dayal , H. , Chiu , C. Y. , Sharrar , R. , Mangan , J. , Rosenwaike , L. , Shapiro , S. , Henley , A. J. , Goldberg‐Alberts , R. and Kinman , J.Ecologic correlates of cancer mortality patterns in an industrialized urban population . J. Natl. Cancer Inst. , 73 , 565 – 574 ( 1984. ). [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 12).Doll , R. and Peto , R.The causes of cancer: quantitative estimates of avoidable risks of cancer in the United States today . J. Natl. Cancer Inst. , 66 , 1191 – 1308 ( 1981. ). [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 13).Greenberg , M. R. “ Urbanization and Cancer Mortality ,” pp . 5 – 13 ( 1983. ). Oxford University Press; , New York . [Google Scholar]
- 14).Abe , S. , Fujitaka , K. , Abe , M. and Fujimoto , K.Extensive field survey of natural radiation in Japan . J. Nucl. Sci. Tech. , 18 , 21 – 45 ( 1981. ). [Google Scholar]
- 15).Williams , R. R. and Horm , M. S.Association of cancer sites with tobacco and alcohol consumption and socioeconomic status of patients: interview study from the third national cancer survey . J. Natl Cancer Inst. , 58 , 525 – 547 ( 1977. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 16).Okuno , T. , Kume , H. , Haga , T. and Yoshizawa , T. “ Multivariate Analysis ,” ( 1975. ). Nikkagiren Press; , Tokyo ( in Japanese ). [Google Scholar]
- 17).Yanai , H. , Inaba , Y. , Takagi , H. and Yamamoto , S.Multivariate analysis of cancer mortalities for selected sites in 24 countries . Environ. Health Perspect. , 32 , 83 – 101 ( 1979. ). [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 18).Snedecor , G. W. and Cochran , W. G. “ Statistical Methods ,” ( 1967. ) The Iowa State University Press; , Ames . [Google Scholar]
- 19).Shimizu , T.Lung cancer mortality and air pollution in Osaka . J. Air Pollut. Res. , 10 , 779 – 783 ( 1976. ) ( in Japanese ). [Google Scholar]
- 20).Shimizu , H. , Tominaga , S. , Nakagawa , N. and Kuroishi , T.An epidemiological study on lung cancer—the relationship between the lung cancer mortality and air pollution by ward in a large city . J. Air Pollut. Res. , 14 , 324 – 333 ( 1979. ) ( in Japanese ). [Google Scholar]
- 21).Minowa , M. , Shigematsu , I. , Nagai , M. and Fukutomi , K.Geographical distribution of lung cancer mortality and environmental factors in Japan . Soc. Sci. Med. , 15D , 225 – 231 ( 1981. ). [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 22).Makino , K. and Mizoguchi , I.Relationship between respiratory disease mortality and air pollution or social indices in the Ku‐area of Tokyo (I) . Jpn. J. Public Health , 31 , 297 – 303 ( 1984. ) ( in Japanese ). [Google Scholar]
- 23).Japan Tobacco and Salt Corporation . Report of Survey on Smoking ( 1975. ) ( in Japanese ).
- 24).Prime Minister's Office Statistics Bureau . Annual Report on the Family Income and Expenditure Survey ( 1981. ) ( in Japanese ).