Fiber intake and the risk of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal cancer

The relation between various types of fiber and oral, pharyngeal and esopha geal cancer was investigated using data from a case-control study conducted between 1992 and 1997 in Italy. Cases were 271 hospital patients with inci dent, histologically confirmed oral cancer, 327 with pharyngeal cancer and 304 with esophageal cancer. Controls were 1,950 subjects admitted to the sa me network of hospitals as the cases for acute, nonneoplastic diseases. Cas es and controls were interviewed during their hospital stay using a validat ed food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) were computed after allow ance for age, sex, and other potential confounding factors, including alcoh ol, tobacco consumption, and energy intake. The ORs for the highest vs. the lowest quintile of intake of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal cancer combin ed were 0.40 for total (Englyst) fiber, 0.37 for soluble fiber, 0.52 for ce llulose, 0.48 for insoluble non cellulose polysaccharide, 0.33 for total in soluble fiber and 0.38 for lignin. The inverse relation were similar for ve getable fiber (OR = 0.51). fruit fiber (OR = 0.60) and grain fiber (OR = 0. 56), and were somewhat stronger for oral and pharyngeal cancer than for eso phageal cancer. The ORs were similar for the two sexes and strata of age, e ducation, alcohol and tobacco consumption, and total non-alcohol energy int ake. Our study indicates that fiber intake may have a protective role on or al, pharyngeal and esophageal cancer. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.