NUTRITIONAL FACTORS AND PROSTATE-CANCER - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF FRENCH-CANADIANS IN MONTREAL, CANADA

The relationship between the risk of prostate cancer and dietary intak e of energy, fat, vitamin A, and other nutrients was investigated in a case-control study conducted in Montreal (Quebec), Canada, French Can adians aged 35 to 84 years with a recent, histologically confirmed dia gnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate were identified through the a dmission offices of five major francophone teaching-hospitals in Montr eal from 1989 to 1993, Population-based controls matched for age (+/- five years), language, and place of residence were selected by a modif ied random-digit dialing method, The study included 232 cases and 231 controls, Information on dietary intake was collected by means of a qu antitative dietary history, No association was evident between energy intake and the risk of prostate cancer, In contrast, there was some ev idence of an inverse association with intake of total fat, animal fat, monounsaturated fat, and particularly saturated fat (odds ratio = 0.6 9, 95 percent confidence interval = 0.40-1.18, P = 0.05), while a nons ignificant positive association was found with polyunsaturated fat, In addition, high intake of retinol and vegetable protein (highest cf lo west quartile) was associated with reduced risk, but was not statistic ally significant, No associations were established between intake of o ther nutrients and risk. These patterns persisted after adjustment for a number of potential confounding factors.