Lung cancer risk and red meat consumption among Iowa women

Objective: Some epidemiologic studies suggest that diets high in total fat, saturated fat, or cholesterol are associated with increased risk of lung c ancer. Others suggest that diets high in red meat consumption, particularly well-done red meat, are a lung cancer risk factor, In Iowa, we had the opp ortunity to investigate concurrently the role of meat intake and macronutri ents in lung cancer etiology. Methods: A population-based case-control stud y of both non-smoking and smoking women was conducted in Iowa. A 70-item fo od frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed by 360 cases and 574 frequen cy-matched controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cis) w ere calculated using logistic regression. Multivariate models included age, education, pack-years of smoking, yellow-green vegetable intake, fruit/fru it juice intake, nutrient density calories, previous non-malignant lung dis ease, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI). Results: When comparin g the fifth (highest) to the first (lowest) quintile of consumption of tota l fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, we obtained odds ratios of 2.0 (1.3-3 .1), 3.0 (1.9-4.7), and 2.0 (1.3-3.0) respectively. However, when red meat was entered into the model along with total fat, saturated fat or cholester ol, the excess risk for the macronutrients disappeared while an odds ratio of 3.3 (1.7-7.6) was obtained for red meat. The odds ratios for red meat co nsumption were similar among adenocarcinoma cases, OR = 3.0 (1.1-7.9) and n on-adenocarcinoma cases, OR = 3.2 (1.3-8.3) and among life-time nonsmokers and ex-smokers OR = 2.8 (1.4-5.4), and current smokers, OR = 4.9 (1.1-22.3) . Yellow-green vegetables were protective with an odds ratio of 0.4 (0.2-0. 7). Conclusions: Consumption of red meat, was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer even after controlling for total fat, saturated fat, ch olesterol, fruit, yellow-green vegetable consumption and smoking history, w hile yellow-green vegetables are associated with a decreased risk of lung c ancer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.