Correlation between cancer mortality and alcoholic beverage in Japan.

Geographical correlations between standardized, mortality ratios (SMRs) of cancers and consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages (saké synthetic saké, shochu, beer, wine, and whisky), of cigarettes, and urbanization were examined for all 46 prefectures in Japan. Suggestive correlations were observed between cancer of the oesophagus in males and both shochu and whisky (r = 0.27 and 0.22 respectively), between cancer of the rectum in males and wine (r = 0.45), and between cancer of the prostate and shochu (r = 0.50). These correlations were also confirmed in the partial correlations between SMRs of cancers and consumption of alcoholic beverages, controlling for the two variables urbanization and consumption of cigarettes. Alhtough cancers of other sites were also correlated with certain types of alcoholic beverages, their associations seemed to be secondary to other factors. The validity of higher-order partial correlations and the problems of correlation study are also referred to.