title: Fiber intake and pancreatic cancer risk: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scanty and inconsistent studies are available on the relation between dietary fiber intake and pancreatic cancer. A case-control study was carried out in northern Italy to further investigate the role of various types of dietary fibers in the etiology of pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases were 326 patients with incident pancreatic cancer, excluding neuroendocrine tumors, admitted to major teaching and general hospitals during 1991-2008. Controls were 652 patients admitted for acute, nonneoplastic conditions to the same hospital network of cases. Information was elicited using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for intake quintiles of different types of fiber after allowance for total energy intake and other potential confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total fiber intake was inversely related to risk of pancreatic cancer (OR=0.4 for highest versus lowest quintile of intake; 95% CI 0.2-0.7). An inverse association emerged between pancreatic cancer and both soluble (OR=0.4; 95% CI 0.2-0.7) and total insoluble fiber (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.8), particularly cellulose (OR=0.4; 95% CI 0.3-0.7) and lignin (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.9). Fruit fiber intake was inversely associated with pancreatic cancer (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.8), whereas grain fiber was not (OR=1.2; 95% CI 0.7-2.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that selected types of fiber and total fiber are inversely related to pancreatic cancer.
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano. Electronic address: epidemiology@cro.it.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Bidoli
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Milan.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pelucchi
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Zucchetto
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Milan.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Negri
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano; Department of Occupational Medicine, Sezione di Statistica Medica e Biometria 'G. A. Maccacaro', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Dal Maso
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Polesel
authors: SOC Oncologica Radioterapica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS, Aviano.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Boz
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Istituto Tumori 'Fondazione Pascale', Naples, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Montella
authors: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Franceschi
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Serraino
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Milan; Department of Occupational Medicine, Sezione di Statistica Medica e Biometria 'G. A. Maccacaro', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: La Vecchia
authors: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Talamini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors