Food groups, oils and butter, and cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx

To elucidate the role of dietary habits, a study was carried out in 1992-19 97 in the province of Pordenone in Northeastern Italy, and those of Rome an d Latina in central Italy Cases were 512 men and 86 women with cancer of th e oral cavity and pharynx (lip, salivary glands and nasopharynx excluded) a nd controls were 1008 men and 483 women who had been admitted to local hosp itals for a broad range of acute non-neoplastic conditions. The validated d ietary section of the questionnaire included 78 foods or recipes and ten qu estions on fat intake patterns. After allowance for education, smoking, alc ohol and total energy intake. significant trends of increasing risk with in creasing intake emerged for soups, eggs, processed meats, cakes and dessert s, and butter. Risk was approximately halved in the highest compared to the lowest intake quintile for coffee and tea, white bread, poultry, fish, raw and cooked vegetables, citrus fruit, and olive oil. The inverse associatio n with oils, especially olive oil, was only slightly attenuated by allowanc e for vegetable, intake. Thus, frequent consumption of vegetables, citrus f ruit, fish and vegetable oils were the major features of a low-risk diet fo r cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx.