Primary liver cancer rate and aflatoxin intake in a high cancer area
Van Rensburg, S.J.; van der Watt, J.J.; Purchase, I.F.; Pereira Coutinho, L.; Markham, R.
South African Medical Journal 48(60): 2508A-2508D
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 4374768 Document Number: 70365
Cancer rates in the Inhambane district of Mozambique were 35.5 and 25.4 per 100 000 for 1964-68 and 1969-71, respectively. The disease occurred X 2 more in men than in women. Chemical assays of 880 meals collected randomly revealed aflatoxin in 9.3% of all samples. A mean contamination value of all prepared food was 7.8 mu g/kg wet food and the mean daily per capita consumption was 222.4 ng/kg body weight (15 mu g/adult/day). Results, which represent the highest primary liver cancer rate reported and the highest known aflatoxin intake, indicated a significant correlation between the level of aflatoxin consumption and the liver cancer rate.