Dietary intake of selected micronutrients and the risk of pancreatic cancer: an Italian case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
several studies have shown an inverse relation between vegetable and fruit intake and pancreatic cancer, but no specific beneficial component of such foods has been consistently identified. We considered the role of 15 selected vitamins and carotenoids and 6 minerals on pancreatic cancer risk in an Italian case-control study.


METHODS
subjects were 326 patients with incident pancreatic cancer and 652 controls, admitted to the same hospitals as cases for acute conditions. Micronutrient computation was based on a validated and reproducible food-frequency questionnaire. We estimated the odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) using conditional logistic regression models, adjusted for various confounding factors and for energy intake, according to the residual model.


RESULTS
comparing the highest to the lowest quintile of intake, the OR were 0.60 (95% CI 0.36-0.98) for vitamin E, 0.44 (95% CI 0.27-0.73) for vitamin C, 0.56 (95% CI 0.34-0.93) for folate, and 0.57 (95% CI 0.35-0.92) for potassium. No significant inverse associations were observed for α-carotene (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.43-1.12), β-carotene (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.39-1.06), and β-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.39-1.09). No relation was found for other micronutrients considered.


CONCLUSIONS
our findings support a favorable role of vitamins E and C, selected carotenoids, and folate on pancreatic carcinogenesis.
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan; Department of Occupational Medicine 'Luigi Devoto Work Clinic', Section of Medical Statistics and Biometry 'Giulio A. Maccacaro', University of Milan, Milan. Electronic address: francesca.bravi@marionegri.it.
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F
Bravi
Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy.
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J
Polesel
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan.
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Bosetti
Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy.
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R
Talamini
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan.
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E
Negri
Department of Occupational Medicine 'Luigi Devoto Work Clinic', Section of Medical Statistics and Biometry 'Giulio A. Maccacaro', University of Milan, Milan; Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy.
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Dal Maso
Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy.
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D
Serraino
Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan; Department of Occupational Medicine 'Luigi Devoto Work Clinic', Section of Medical Statistics and Biometry 'Giulio A. Maccacaro', University of Milan, Milan.
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La Vecchia
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018977:Micronutrients; D008903:Minerals; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid