Change in lifestyle and food habit has helped to bring down the incidents of esophagus and stomach cancer in Japan, China and Korea, leading surgeons of these countries said today.

The incidents of esophagus cancer was very high in Japan, due to H Pylori bacterial infection and similar was the case in Korea where stomach cancer prevailed high due to life style, particularly in males, the surgeons said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the first international conference on Disease of Esophagus and Stomach ISECON 2017, Prof. Harushi Osugi of Japan said that 40 per one lakh population were affected by Cancer stomach, the main reason being sated fish and meat.

However, the incidents were coming down due to change in food habit and also reducing consumption of liquor and smoking, he said.

Compared to India, the incidents of esophageal cancer were on higher side in Korea, which were now decreasing may be due to regular screening by doing endoscopy after the age of 40, Prof W J Hyuang, a leader Robotic Surgeon from that country said.

Stating that squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus was the commonest cancer in China, Dr Yanfeng Hu, a leading gastroenterologist said the incidence was increasing in all countries due to heart burn, life style change and obesity.

President of Indian Society for Disease of Stomach and Esophagus, Dr. C. Palanivelu, the organising chairman of the Conference, said that the incident of cancer of stomach and esophagus were on the increase in India also.

Only a few centres in India has specialty training for such surgeries, as Gem Hospital, where he is the chairman, is offering one year fellowship in Esophagus, Palanivelu said.

About 350 surgeons from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh are participating in the conference, where live laparoscopy surgeries of esophagus and stomach cancer demonstrated.