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Nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and risk of renal cell cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Folate, vitamins B6 and B12, methionine, choline, and betaine are nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and have been hypothesized to decrease cancer risk. Few studies have evaluated dietary intakes of these nutrients in relation to renal cell cancer (RCC).

Methods

We conducted prospective follow-up studies of women in the Nurses’ Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Diet was assessed repeatedly using a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire in both studies.

Results

During follow-up of 24 years among 77,208 women (918,891 person-years) and 22 years among 47,886 men (1,731,752 person-years), we accrued 436 cases of RCC (225 women and 211 men). Intakes of folate, vitamins B6 and B12, methionine, and betaine were not found to be related to RCC risk. Higher intake of free choline, but not other forms of choline, was associated with reduced RCC risk. The results were similar in men and women.

Conclusions

We found little evidence that higher intakes of nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism lower RCC risk. One-carbon metabolism may have little influence on renal carcinogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by research grant CA87969 and CA55075 from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, we would like to thank the participants and staff of the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for their valuable contributions as well as the following state cancer registries for their help: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WY.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Eunyoung Cho & Edward L. Giovannucci

  2. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Edward L. Giovannucci & Hee-Kyung Joh

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Edward L. Giovannucci

  4. Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Hee-Kyung Joh

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  1. Eunyoung Cho
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  2. Edward L. Giovannucci
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Correspondence to Eunyoung Cho.

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Cho, E., Giovannucci, E.L. & Joh, HK. Nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism and risk of renal cell cancer. Cancer Causes Control 24, 373–382 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0123-7

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