RELATIONSHIP OF SERUM URIC-ACID TO CANCER OCCURRENCE IN A PROSPECTIVEMALE COHORT

Uric acid is a potent antioxidant and thus might protect against cance r. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship of serum uric acid to subsequent cancer incidence in a cohort of Japanese men in Ha waii. The study population consisted of 7889 men identified in the yea rs 1965-1968 and followed by active hospital surveillance through Nove mber 1991. Cancer risk by serum uric acid level was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression with adjustment for age and, where in dicated, smoking, alcohol use, and body mass index. No significant ass ociations were seen for total cancer (1544 cases), or for cancers of t he stomach (214), colon (272), rectum (105), lung (223), bladder (89), or hematopoietic system (77). For prostate cancer (293 cases), a posi tive association was found (relative risk for highest versus lowest qu artile of serum uric acid = 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.1; p fo r trend = 0.04). When the interval from examination to diagnosis was c onsidered, this association was strongest for cases diagnosed in the f irst 10 years, was attenuated after 15 years, and disappeared complete ly after 20 years. The findings from this study do not support the hyp othesis that uric acid protects against cancer occurrence.