THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TYPHOID CARRIAGE, TYPHOID INFECTION AND SUBSEQUENT CANCER AT A NUMBER OF SITES

It has been demonstrated that bacteria can produce the very potent car cinogens (N-nitroso compounds), from nitrite and suitable amines, It h as been hypothesized that this can happen whenever a body site which i s normally sterile becomes colonized by bacteria, If this is so then s uch chronic infections should result in an increased incidence of loca l cancers and also of cancers at some distant sites, To test this we s tudied the risk of cancer at various sites in a cohort of chronic carr iers of Salmonella typhi/paratyphi. We have observed a greatly increas ed risk of cancers of the biliary tract and also of cancers of the col orectum, pancreas, lung and all sites, The results are discussed in te rms of the hypothesis being tested.