Total antioxidant capacity intake and colorectal cancer risk in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) intake and colorectal cancer incidence.


METHODS
TAC intake was assessed in 1986 and every 4 years thereafter in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a prospective cohort study of 47,339 men. Between 1986 and 2004, 952 colorectal cancer cases were diagnosed. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).


RESULTS
Comparing the highest versus lowest quintile, TAC intake from foods only (dietary TAC) was not associated with colorectal (multivariate-RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.23) or colon (multivariate-RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.61) cancer risk, but was inversely associated with rectal cancer risk (multivariate-RR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.96). For the same comparison, TAC intake from foods and supplements (total TAC) was not associated with colorectal (multivariate-RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.14), colon (multivariate-RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.33), or rectal (multivariate-RR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.52, 1.38) cancer risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary and total TAC intakes were not associated with colorectal and colon cancer risk. Dietary, but not total, TAC intake was inversely associated with rectal cancer risk, suggesting antioxidants per se may not be associated with rectal cancer risk.
Mekary
Rania A
RA
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Bldg 2, Rm 355A, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Rmekary@hsph.harvard.edu
Wu
Kana
K
Giovannucci
Edward
E
Sampson
Laura
L
Fuchs
Charles
C
Spiegelman
Donna
D
Willett
Walter C
WC
Smith-Warner
Stephanie A
SA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006281:Health Occupations; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D000975:Antioxidants
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