Adolescent and mid-life diet: risk of colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Colorectal cancer has a natural history of several decades; therefore, the diet consumed decades before diagnosis may aid in understanding this malignancy.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective was to investigate diet during adolescence and 10 y before baseline (ages 40-61 y) in relation to colorectal cancer.

DESIGN:

Participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (n = 292,797) completed a 124-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) about diet in the past 12 mo and two 37-item FFQs about diet at ages 12-13 y and 10 y previously. Cox regression was used to estimate multivariate HRs and 95% CIs for colon (n = 2794) and rectal (n = 979) cancers within quintiles of exposures.

RESULTS:

Colon cancer risk was lower in the highest than in the lowest quintile of vitamin A (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) and vegetable (HR: 0.81, 0.70, 0.92) intakes during adolescence. Those in the highest intake category 10 y previously for calcium (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.94), vitamin A (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.92), vitamin C (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.95), fruit (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.97), and milk (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.90) had a lower risk of colon cancer, but a higher risk was observed for total fat (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.30), red meat (HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.53), and processed meat (HR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.45). For rectal cancer, milk was inversely associated (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.96) with risk.

CONCLUSION:

Adolescent and midlife diet may play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis.

• Authors: Elizabeth H Ruder, Anne C M Thiébaut, Frances E Thompson, Nancy Potischman, Amy F Subar, Yikyung Park, Barry I Graubard, Albert R Hollenbeck, Amanda J Cross
• Journal: The American journal of clinical nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr) Vol. 94 Issue 6 Pg. 1607-19 (Dec 2011) ISSN: 1938-3207 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22071715 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• Calcium, Dietary
• Dietary Fats
• Micronutrients
• Vitamin A

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Animals
• Calcium, Dietary (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Child
• Colorectal Neoplasms (etiology, prevention & control)
• Diet
• Diet Surveys
• Dietary Fats (adverse effects)
• Female
• Food Handling
• Fruit
• Humans
• Male
• Meat (adverse effects)
• Micronutrients (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Middle Aged
• Milk
• Multivariate Analysis
• Proportional Hazards Models
• Risk Factors
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Vitamin A (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)