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Implications of malnutrition in chemical carcinogenesis

  • International Symposium on Environmental Carcinogenesis Dec. 9–11, 1979, Cancer Research Institute (Tata Memorial Centre) Bombay
  • Etiologic Studies
  • Published:
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Summary

Epidemiological data indicate that life style, including dietary “imbalances”, play a major role in etiology of human cancers. Although two thirdd of the world population suffer from varying grades of protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) today, no consistent pattern is found to be associated with PCM both in man and laboratory animals. At the tissue level, depression of cellular proliferation by prolongation of DNA-synthetic phase is a characteristic lesion of PCM. Due to changes in liver mixed function oxidases, metabolism of drugs is affected. The cell-mediated immunity is depressed and there is a defective mobilisation of macrophages. These alterations would modulate carcinogenesis; some tend to enhance, while others inhibit tumorigenesis. The balance of evidence suggests that PCM is unlikely to have dominant modulating influence on carcinogenesis.

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Abbreviations

B(a)P:

Benzo(a)pyrene

CMI:

Cell-mediated immunity

3HTdR:

3H-Thymidine

PCM:

Protein-calorie malnutrition

PL:

Preleptotene spermatocytes

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research Institute, Parel, 400 012, Bombay, India

    M. G. Deo (Research Director)

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  1. M. G. Deo
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Deo, M.G. Implications of malnutrition in chemical carcinogenesis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 99, 77–86 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412445

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412445

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