Folate status among patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
This case control study explored the purported inverse relationship between folate status and lung cancer development.


METHODS
Folate status of 46 postoperative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was compared to that of 44 non-cancer patients. Cancer patients had completed treatment > 3 months prior and had no evidence of cancer. Ineligibility criteria for all patients included (1) > 2 alcoholic drinks/day (2) ongoing tobacco use, or (3) folate supplementation > 400 microg/day.


RESULTS
No differences were found between groups in serum and RBC folate after adjustment for age and use of folate-interfering medications: geometric means (GM) x /geometric standard error (GSE): 7.9 ng/ml x /1.1 vs. 7.8 ng/ml x /1.1, respectively (P = 0.91) for serum folate; 264 ng/ml x /1.1 vs. 263 ng/ml x /1.1, respectively (P = 0.97) for RBC folate. Age- and creatinine-adjusted homocysteine was no different between groups: GM x /GSE: 9.4 micromol/L x /1.0 vs. 8.6 micromol/L x /1.0, respectively (P = 0.17). No difference were seen in folate intake. Frequencies of the homozygous genotype for the MTHFR polymorphism, an enzyme important in folate metabolism and associated with a reduced risk of other cancers, were no different.


CONCLUSIONS
This case control study does not support the hypothesis that low folate is an independent risk factor for NSCLC.
Jatoi
A
A
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA. jatoi.aminah@mayo.edu
Daly
B D
BD
Kramer
G
G
Mason
J B
JB
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006711:Homocystine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking
D006711:Homocystine; D005492:Folic Acid