Calcium and dairy food intakes are inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in the Cohort of Swedish Men.
BACKGROUND
Recent epidemiologic studies have generally reported a modest inverse association between calcium intake and the risk of colorectal cancer. However, findings pertaining to specific subsites in the colorectum have been conflicting.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to prospectively examine the relations between intakes of calcium and dairy foods and the risk of colorectal cancer, overall and by anatomic subsite, in men from the Cohort of Swedish Men.


METHODS
In 1997, 45 306 men aged 45-79 y and without a history of cancer completed a food-frequency questionnaire. The men were followed through 31 December 2004.


RESULTS
During a mean follow-up of 6.7 y, we ascertained 449 incident cases of colorectal cancer. After adjustment for age and other known or potential risk factors, the multivariate rate ratio (RR) of colorectal cancer for men in the highest quartile of total calcium intake compared with those in the lowest quartile was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.91; P for trend = 0.01). A high consumption of dairy foods was also associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. The multivariate RR of colorectal cancer for > or = 7 servings/d of total dairy foods compared with <2 servings/d was 0.46 (0.30, 0.71; P for trend = 0.01). For cancer subsites, the corresponding RRs were 0.37 (0.16, 0.88) for proximal colon, 0.43 (0.20, 0.93) for distal colon, and 0.48 (0.23, 0.99) for rectum.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide support for inverse associations between intakes of calcium and dairy foods and the risk of colorectal cancer.
Larsson
Susanna C
SC
Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. susanna.larsson@ki.se
Bergkvist
Leif
L
Rutegård
Jörgen
J
Giovannucci
Edward
E
Wolk
Alicja
A
D000368:Aged; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003611:Dairy Products; D004032:Diet; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D002136:Calcium, Dietary