title: Whole Grain Intake Reduces Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.
abstract: Mounting evidence from epidemiology studies suggests that whole grain intake may reduce pancreatic cancer risk, but convincing evidence is scarce. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between whole grain intake and pancreatic cancer risk. Relevant observational studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane library databases for the period from January 1980 to July 2015, with no restrictions. We calculated the summary odds ratios (ORs) for pancreatic cancer using random-effects model meta-analysis. Between-study heterogeneity was analyzed using the I statistic. A total of 8 studies regarding whole grain intake were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled OR of pancreatic cancer for those with high versus low whole grain intake was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.91; P = 0.002). There was no significant heterogeneity across these studies (I² = 11.7%; Pheterogeneity = 0.339). In the subgroup analysis by geographic area, the summary ORs of developing pancreatic cancer were 0.64 (95% CI, 0.53-0.79; P < 0.001; I ²= 0%; Pheterogeneity = 0.482) in the United States (n = 4) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.63-1.43; P = 0.803; I ²= 45.6%; Pheterogeneity = 0.175) in Europe (n = 2). In the subgroup analysis by type of whole grain, the summary ORs were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60-0.87; P = .001; I² = 0; Pheterogeneity = 0.876) for grains (n = 4) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.27-2.02; P = 0.554; I² = 86.3%; Pheterogeneity = 0.007) for wheat (n = 2). A high intake of whole grains was associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer. Because of the absent of more cohort studies, further prospective studies need to be conducted to ensure conclusions that are more robust.
authors.affiliation: From the Research Institute of General Surgery (QL, XW, XG, LZ, NL, JL), Jinling Hospital, Clinical College of Southern Medical University, Nanjing; Key Laboratory for Medical Molecular Diagnostics of Guangdong Province (HZ), Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan; Department of General Surgery (JB, TJ, FT, CW), Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing; and Department of Ophthalmology (MX), The Fist Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Qiucheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Huazhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jingcheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Xinying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xuejin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D065840:Protective Factors; D000067348:Whole Grains