Case-control study of diet and mesothelioma in Louisiana.
Data were analyzed from a case-control interview study of malignant mesothelioma in Louisiana, which gathered information on usual diet and on lifetime occupational exposure to asbestos. Thirty-seven patients with malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (n = 32) or peritoneum (n = 5) were matched to controls according to age, sex, race, and factors related to case ascertainment (hospital and date of diagnosis, or parish and date of death). Twenty-one of the 37 cases were judged by masked occupational review to have been exposed to asbestos (57%), compared to seven of 37 controls (19%). Seven additional cases and 10 additional controls had occupational histories suggestive of asbestos exposure. With regard to usual diet before illness, cases reported less frequent consumption of homegrown produce (p = 0.005), cruciferous vegetables (p = 0.005), and all vegetables combined (p = 0.09) than did the controls. An estimate of usual carotene intake was also significantly lower in cases (p = 0.03). Dose-dependent reductions in risk were seen with increasing consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables (p for trend = 0.013). These associations were not explained by differences in asbestos exposure as measured by the occupational review. The results indicate that consumption of vegetables or some vegetable-related constituent may have a protective effect on developing mesothelioma.
Schiffman
M H
MH
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Pickle
L W
LW
Fontham
E
E
Zahm
S H
SH
Falk
R
R
Mele
J
J
Correa
P
P
Fraumeni
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014675:Vegetables
D001194:Asbestos