NUTRIENT INTAKE AND CANCER OF THE PANCREAS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY IN ATHENS, GREECE

In a hospital-based case-control study of pancreatic cancer conducted in Athens (1991-92), 181 patients with histologically confirmed cancer of the exocrine pancreas were compared with hospital patient controls and hospital visitor controls, individually matched to the cases by h ospital, age, gender, and interviewer in a 1:1:1 ratio. All interviews were conducted in person in the respective hospitals. Diet was ascert ained through a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Nutrien t intakes for individuals were estimated by multiplying the nutrient c ontent of a selected typical portion-size for each specified food-item by the frequency that the food was used per month, and summing these estimates for all food items. Data were analyzed using conditional log istic regression, controlling for tobacco smoking and total energy int ake as well as for mutual confounding influences among nutrients. Adju sted odds ratios (rate ratios) for pancreatic cancer, associated with particular nutritional variables, were expressed per increments approx imately equal to the standard deviations of (the residual of) the resp ective nutrients, on a daily basis. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) compared with other patient and v isitor controls respectively, were: for polyunsaturated fat, OR = 1.32 (CI = 1.07-1.63) and 1.21 (CI = 0.98-1.49); and for crude fibre, OR = 0.80 (CI = 0.64-1.00) and 0.65 (CI = 0.50-0.86). No substantial, stat istically significant or consistent, independent associations were not ed for total energy, total protein, total fat, saturated fat, monounsa turated fat, dietary cholesterol, total carbohydrates, sucrose, vitami n C, vitamin A, riboflavin, or calcium.