[Epidemiology of gastric cancer. 2nd communication (author's transl)].

Of 257 patients with gastric cancer and of 766 persons with different stages of chronic gastritis or normal gastric mucosa, 35 items from epidemiologic studies were used for this analysis. The comparison of epidemiology of chronic gastritis with epidemiology of stomach cancer by univariate and multivariate variance analysis shows numerous common variables (social group; digestive diseases). Furthermore gastric cancer is characterized by variables which give hints to cancerogenous noxes. Gastric cancer patients are distinguished from persons with atrophic gastritis by the following variables: cancerogenes; social class; genetic factors, and digestive diseases. It is suggested that these factors are relevant for stomach cancerogenesis in atrophic gastritis.