Vegetable and fruit consumption and lung cancer risk in the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer

Objective: The purpose was to study the association between vegetable and f ruit consumption and lung cancer incidence using 1074 cases after 6.3 years of follow-up in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Methods: Dietary intake was assessed using a 150-item food-frequency questi onnaire. Multivariate models were used including age, sex, family history o f lung cancer, highest educational level attained, and smoking history. Results: Statistically significant inverse associations were found with tot al vegetables and most vegetable groups. Rate ratios (RRs) based on consump tion frequency showed the strongest effect of vegetables from the Brassica group (RR 0.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.3-0.9, for consumption gr eater than or equal to 3 times per week versus less than or equal to once a month). RR of highest versus lowest quintile of total vegetable consumptio n was 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-1.0, p-trend 0.001). Statistically significant invers e associations were found for all fruits listed in the questionnaire. RRs f or quintiles of total fruit intake were 1.0, 0.7, 0.6, 0.6 and 0.8 respecti vely (p-trend < 0.0001). Protective effects of fruits and vegetables were s tronger in current than in former smokers, and weaker for adenocarcinomas t han for other types of tumors. Conclusions: Inverse associations with lung cancer are found for both veget able and fruit intake, but no specific type of vegetable or fruit seems to be particularly responsible.