DIETARY FACTORS AND RISK OF COLON-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF 50,535 YOUNG NORWEGIAN MEN AND WOMEN

The relationship of meat, fish, fat, fibre or calcium consumption to t he risk of colon cancer was examined in a prospective study conducted by the Norwegian National Health Screening Service. Between 1977 and 1 983, 50,535 Norwegian men and women aged 20-54 attended the health scr eening and completed a semiquantitative questionnaire about food frequ ency. During a mean follow-up of 11.4 years, 143 cases of colon cancer were identified for analyses through a link with the Norwegian Cancer Registry. The relative risk of colon cancer was 3.5 (95% CI, 1.0211.9 ) in women who consumed sausages as their main meal five or more tines a month, compared with the risk in those who reported a consumption f requency of less than once a month. There was an increase in the relat ive risk with increasing frequency of consumption (P for linear trends = 0.03). Among men, the association was not statistically significant , but the trend was in the same direction as that of the women. The fr equency of consuming meat meals in general, including meat stews, roas ted meat, meat balls, fish or milk, was not associated with a risk of colon cancer. No trends in relative risks of colon cancer were found t o be associated with intake of total energy intake or with energy-adju sted intake of total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, dietary fibre or calcium. in conclusions, this prospective study provided no e vidence of association between intake of meat, fish, fat, energy, fibr e or calcium and risk of colon cancer, although an increased risk with frequent consumption of sausages was suggested.