Notably, the incidence rates for Vietnamese men and women are the same. These patterns remain when incidence and mortality rates are calculated for the three age groups. There are some differences in the ratios of incidence rates to mortality rates. Better techniques for food preservation and storage are often cited as reasons for the decline in stomach cancer incidence worldwide. Refrigeration has resulted in lower intake of salted, smoked and pickled foods and greater availability of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Evidence is strong that salt intake is a major determinant of stomach cancer risk.
Cigarette smoking may also play a role. Infection with helicobacter pylori, the major cause of chronic active gastritis, also appears to be important in the development of stomach cancer. Miller BA, Kolonel LN, Bernstein L, Young, Jr. JL, Swanson GM, West D, Key CR, Liff JM, Glover CS, Alexander GA, et al. Bethesda, MD, 1996.