NUTRIENT INTAKE PATTERNS AND GASTRIC-CANCER RISK - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY IN BELGIUM

A case-control study on gastric cancer risk in relation to nutrient co mposition of diet was conducted in the 2 Belgian provinces of Oost-Vla anderen and Liege as part of a large epidemiological study on cancers of the digestive tract, also including colorectal cancer, The statisti cal analysis was carried out on a total of 301 men and women aged 35-7 4 years with histologically confirmed stomach tumors and 2,851 populat ion controls. Dietary intake assessments were obtained by interview, u sing a dietary history questionnaire. Gastric cancer risk was increase d for diets rich in mono- and disaccharides, according to statistical models based on energy-adjusted residuals [odds ratio (OR) = 1,88 for upper vs, lower quartiles of energy-adjusted intakes] or energy decomp osition models, but showed no increase for high intake of polysacchari des. Intake of polyunsaturated fats, particularly linoleic acid, was i nversely associated with gastric cancer risk. High intake of vitamin C , beta carotene and vitamins BI (thiamine), B3 (nicotinic acid) or B6 (pyridoxine) was also associated with decreased risk, whereas increase d risk was observed for high intake of vitamin A (retinol) or vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Many of these associations between gastric cancer ris k and nutrient composition were similar to those found in the analysis of a parallel study on cancers of the colon and rectum. (C) 1998 Wile y-Liss, Inc.