The largest portion of the funds from the MERIT award will support continued accrual and collection of data on additional cases of adenocarcinomas of the esophagus, G-E junction, and gastric cardia for an additional two years (through 11/30/90). Approximately 1, 36, and 32 new adenocarcinomas of the esophagus, G-E junction, and gastric cardia occur annually in our area; and by 11/30/90 we will have accrued approximately 120, 170, and 100 cases of these cancers, respectively. One control will be selected for each case. All study procedures will remain unchanged, so that data comparable to what has already been collected will be obtained from interviews, dietary questionnaires, and analysis of nail specimens. Risk factors for these three types of adenocarcinomas will be compared and if they are similar (as expected), the data will be combined to assess risk factors for what we will call gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. Sufficient numbers of subjects will be available for detailed analyses of somewhat greater power than the analyses of data on squamous carcinomas of the esophagus or larynx (which is adequate to assess the etiologic role of all major variables of interest). Relative risks of gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas in relation to known and suspected risk factors for esophageal cancer, and dietary variables obtained from interviews and nail analyses, will be estimated and compared with those for squamous cell esophageal cancers, and the other neoplasms under study (see next to last paragraph of progress report.) These analyses will be performed during the last year of the MERIT award. Funds from this award will also be utilized during the first two years of the award to extend the analyses of data on the possible relationships of various trace elements and other dietary factors in relation to risks of squamous cell cancers arising from subsites within the mouth, larynx, and esophagus. Details of the analytic methods that will be used are given in the original grant application, and are summarized briefly in the progress report.
