Abstract
Background: Dietary folate has been inversely related to the risk of several cancers. However, studies on the role of dietary folate in oesophageal cancer are scanty. Patients and methods: Using data from a multicentric case-control study conducted in Italy and Switzerland between 1992 and 1999, we investigated the association between dietary folate intake and oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC) among 351 men with incident, histologically confirmed OSCC and 875 hospital controls admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions, unrelated to alcohol and smoking consumption. Intake of folate and other nutrients was computed from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Results: The multivariate odds ratios (ORs) of OSCC were 0.68 (95% confidence intervals, CI: 0.46 - 1.00) for the highest versus the lowest tertile of folate intake, and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72 - 0.99) for an increment of folate intake equal to a standard deviation (98 μg/day). The inverse relation was somewhat stronger in strata of high methionine, vitamin B6 and alcohol intake, and did not vary substantially according to age and smoking habits. Conclusion: Dietary folate was inversely related to OSCC risk in this population with high alcohol consumption and infrequent use of supplements and multivitamins.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 521-525 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Annals of Oncology |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2006 |
Keywords
- Alcohol
- Case-control study
- Diet
- Folate
- Oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Cancer Research