Flavonol and flavone intake and the risk of cancer in male smokers (Finland).
OBJECTIVE
To study the associations between the intake of flavonols and flavones and the risk of cancer.


METHODS
The study cohort consisted of 27,110 male smokers, aged 50-69 years, without history of cancer. They were participants of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study in Finland. The men completed a validated dietary questionnaire at baseline. Incident cases of cancers were identified through national registers. During an average 6.1-year follow-up, 791 lung cancers, 226 prostate cancers, 156 urothelial cancers, 133 colorectal cancers, 111 stomach cancers, and 92 renal cell cancers were diagnosed.


RESULTS
Intake of flavonols and flavones was inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer; multivariate relative risk in the highest vs. the lowest quartile 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.69, p for trend 0.0001. The risk was similar in all histological types of lung cancer. No association was found between flavonol and flavone intake and the risk of other cancers.


CONCLUSIONS
Intake of flavonols and flavones seemed to be inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer, but not with that of other cancers.
Hirvonen
T
T
National Public Health Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Helsinki, Finland. tero.hirvonen@ktl.fi
Virtamo
J
J
Korhonen
P
P
Albanes
D
D
Pietinen
P
P
D000368:Aged; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005387:Finland; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D019207:beta Carotene; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol