Nutritional factors are suspected to cause oesophageal cancer as well as other cancers of the digestive tract. Sideropenia, lack of molybdenum, tannins have been reported to be associated with the disease. Polycyclic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines have been found in alcoholic beverages from high incidence regions; the significance of the small amounts detected remains to be assessed. A recent survey in Iran points out the role of poor and monotonous diet. In Brittany, no major deficiencies were found, neither in quantity or quality, in the diet of 200 male cases of oesophageal cancer when compared with a population control group. Differences in consumption were detected for a few items; the most obvious discrepancies concerned the various alcoholic beverages for which the proportion of heavy consumers was systematically greater among cases. Alcohol and tobacco are both independently associated with the disease; there is a dose-response relationship for both and their effects are multiplicative. The mechanism of the action of alcohol in oesophageal cancer is briefly discussed.