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Vegetable and animal products as determinants of colon cancer risk in Dutch men and women

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To examine the relationship between colon cancer and food groups from vegetable or animal sources and their possible interactions with gender, we analyzed data from a Dutch case-control study. Dietary patterns were assessed for 232 colon cancer cases and 259 population controls. In multivariate analyses, the consumption of vegetables was associated significantly with reduced colon-cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] for highest cf lowest quartile of consumption =0.4, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=0.2-0.7, P-trend =0.0004). Consumption of fresh red meat was associated positively with risk in women (Or=2.4, 95% CI=1.0-5.7, P-trend=0.04), especially for those with a high consumption of red meat relative to the consumption of vegetables and fruits (OR=3.1). For men, no association with consumption of fresh red meat was found OR=0.9). No clear associations were found for other products of vegetable or animal origin. The results of this Dutch case-control study support the preventive potential of a high-vegetable diet in colon cancer risk. This study suggests this may be important for women consuming a diet high in red meat.

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Authors
  1. Ellen Kampman
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  2. Dorette Verhoeven
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  3. Lisette Sloots
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  4. Pieter van't Veer
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Additional information

Drs Kampman and Verboeven are with the TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, Netherlands, Drs Kampman, Sloots, and Van't Veer are with the Agricultural University, Department of Human Epidemiology and Public Health, Wageningen, Netherlands. Address correspondence to Dr Kampman, Department of Epidemiology, TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.

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Kampman, E., Verhoeven, D., Sloots, L. et al. Vegetable and animal products as determinants of colon cancer risk in Dutch men and women. Cancer Causes Control 6, 225–234 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051794

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051794

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