[Nutrition and cancer (author's transl)].

There is evidence of the epidemiological role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of various forms of human diseases; several components of nutrition are known to have a carcinogenic effect in man. In terms of epidemiology, however, alcoholism is most important which through the development of malnutrition enhances the risk of carcinosis of the upper gastrointestinal tract particularly in smokers. Nutritional deficiences have an influence on the incidence of cancer of the stomach, cervix and thyroid. Overnutrition favours the development of certain forms of cancer such as malignant diseases of the colon, pancreas, kidney, mamma, ovary, endometrium and prostate.