Dietary carotenoids, serum beta-carotene, and retinol and risk of lung cancer in the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cohort study.
Findings from several beta-carotene supplementation trials were unexpected and conflicted with most observational studies. Carotenoids other than beta-carotene are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables and may play a role in this important malignancy, but previous findings regarding the five major carotenoids are inconsistent. The authors analyzed the associations between dietary beta-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, vitamin A, serum beta-carotene, and serum retinol and the lung cancer risk in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort of male smokers conducted in southwestern Finland between 1985 and 1993. Of the 27,084 male smokers aged 50-69 years who completed the 276-food item dietary questionnaire at baseline, 1,644 developed lung cancer during up to 14 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower lung cancer risk (relative risk = 0.73, 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 0.86, highest vs. lowest quintile). Lower risks of lung cancer were observed for the highest versus the lowest quintiles of lycopene (28%), lutein/zeaxanthin (17%), beta-cryptoxanthin (15%), total carotenoids (16%), serum beta-carotene (19%), and serum retinol (27%). These findings suggest that high fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly a diet rich in carotenoids, tomatoes, and tomato-based products, may reduce the risk of lung cancer.
Holick
Crystal N
CN
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Michaud
Dominique S
DS
Stolzenberg-Solomon
Rachael
R
Mayne
Susan T
ST
Pietinen
Pirjo
P
Taylor
Philip R
PR
Virtamo
Jarmo
J
Albanes
Demetrius
D
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol