Skip to main content

Dietary vitamin A, beta carotene and risk of epidermoid lung cancer in South-Western France

European Journal of Epidemiology volume 6, pages 261–265 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

This hospital-based case-control study was designed to investigate the association of low dietary vitamin A and beta carotene consumption with epidermoid lung cancer. Cases were patients with histologically confirmed epidermoid lung cancer diagnosed in six selected hospitals of south-western France in 1983–84. Controls were selected from patients admitted to the same hospitals during the same period with diagnoses other than cancer. Cases and controls were matched for sex, age, place of residence, occupation, professional exposure to carcinogens, tobacco and alcohol consumption. A total of 106 cases of epidermoid lung cancer and 212 controls were interviewed on their typical weekly intake of 80 food items rich in preformed vitamin A and beta carotene. Index measures of the vitamin A and beta carotene daily intakes were computed for each individual patient and expressed in retinol equivalent (RE). A statistically significant odds ratio (OR) was found for preformed vitamin A (OR=4.3; 95% CI: 2.5–7.3) with the threshold of 1,000 RE. A similar result was found for beta carotene with the same threshold (OR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.3–7.4). Using the conditional logistic regression, consumption of preformed vitamin A and consumption of beta carotene were significantly and independently associated with epidermoid lung cancer. While confirming the protective role of beta carotene against epidermoid lung cancer, this study also shows that preformed vitamin A might have a distinct and important protective effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Anonymous (1979): Vitamin A, tumor initiation and tumor promotion (Editorial) - Nutr. Rev. 37:153–156.

  2. BirtD.F. (1986): Update on the effects of vitamins A, C, and E and selenium on carcinogenesis - Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 183: 311–320.

    Google Scholar 

  3. BreslowN.E. (1982): Covariance adjustement of relative risk estimates in matched studies -Biometrics 38: 661–672.

    Google Scholar 

  4. BreslowN.E., DayN.E., HalvorsenK.T. et al. (1978): Estimation of multiple relative risk functions in matched case-control studies - Am. J. Epidemiol. 108: 299–307.

    Google Scholar 

  5. ByersT.E., GrahamS., HaugheyB.P. et al. (1987): Diet and lung cancer: findings from the Western New-York diet study - Am. J. Epidemiol. 125: 351–363.

    Google Scholar 

  6. ColditzG.A., StampferM.J. and WilletW.C. (1987): Diet and lung cancer. A review of the epidemiologic evidence in humans - Arch. Intern. Med. 147: 157–160.

    Google Scholar 

  7. CubeauJ. and PequignotG. (1980): La technique du questionnaire alimentaire utilisé par la section nutrition de l'INSERM- Rev. Epidemiol. Santé Publ. 28: 367–372.

    Google Scholar 

  8. FleissJ.L. (1984): The Mantel-Haenszel estimator in case control studies with varying numbers of controls matched to each case - Am. J. Epidemiol. 120: 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  9. GoodmanD.W. (1984): Vitamin A and retinoids in health and disease - N. Engl. J. Med. 310: 1023–1031.

    Google Scholar 

  10. HarisisiadisL., MillerR.C., HallE.J. et al. (1978): Vitamine A analogue inhibits radiation-induced oncogenic transformation - Nature 274: 486–487.

    Google Scholar 

  11. HarrellF.E. (1983): The PHGCM Procedure in SUGI supplemental library user's guide - 1983 edition SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  12. HindsM.W., KolonelL.N., HankinJ.H. et al. (1984): Dietary vitamin A, carotene, vitamin C and risk of lung cancer in Hawaii - Am. J. Epidemiol. 119: 227–237.

    Google Scholar 

  13. HumbleC.G., SametJ.M. and SkipperB.E. (1987): Use of quantified and frequency indices of vitamin A intake in a case-control study of lung cancer - Int. J. Epidemiol. 16: 341–346.

    Google Scholar 

  14. MenkesM.S., ComstockG.W., VuilleumierJ.P. et al. (1986): Serum beta-carotene, vitamins A and E, selenium and the risk of lung cancer - N. Engl. J. Med. 315: 1250–1254.

    Google Scholar 

  15. OstrowskiZ.L. (1978): Les aliments: table des valeurs nutritives. Association Européenne pour l'Etude et le Développement de l'Enfant - Gilanor ed., Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  16. PisaniP., BerrinoF., MacalusoM. et. al. (1986): Carrots, green vegetables and lung cancer: a case-control study - Int. J. Epidemiol. 15: 463–468.

    Google Scholar 

  17. PrenticeR.L. and BreslowN.E. (1978): Retrospective studies and failure time models - Biometrika 65: 153–158.

    Google Scholar 

  18. SametJ.M., SkipperB.J., HumbleC.G. et al. (1985): Lung cancer risk and vitamin A consumption in New Mexico - Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 131: 198–202.

    Google Scholar 

  19. SantamariaL., BianchiA., ArnoboldiL. et al. (1983): Dietary carotenoids block photocarcinogenic enhancement by benzopyrene and inhibits its carcinogenesis in the dark - Experientia 39: 1043–1045.

    Google Scholar 

  20. ShekelleR.B., RaynorJr.W.J., LepperM. et al. (1981): Dietary vitamin A and risk of cancer in the Western Electric Study - Lancet ii: 1185–1190.

    Google Scholar 

  21. ZieglerR.G., MasonT.J., StemhagenA. et al. (1986): Carotenoid intake, vegetables and the risk of lung cancer among withe men in New Jersey - Am. J. Epidemiol. 123: 1080–1093.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d Epidémiologie et Biostatistiques, Université Bordeaux II, 33076, Bordeaux Cedex, France

    J. F. Dartigues, F. Dabis, A. Moise & R. Salamon

  2. Dispensaire de Pneumologie, Hôpital d'Angoulème, 16000, Angoulème, France

    N. Gros & G. Bois

  3. Service de Radiothérapie, Fondation Bergonié, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    J. M. Dilhuydy

Authors
  1. J. F. Dartigues
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Dabis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. Gros
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Moise
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. Bois
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R. Salamon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. J. M. Dilhuydy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. G. Courty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dartigues, J.F., Dabis, F., Gros, N. et al. Dietary vitamin A, beta carotene and risk of epidermoid lung cancer in South-Western France. Eur J Epidemiol 6, 261–265 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00150430

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00150430

Key words

  • Lung cancer
  • Vitamin A
  • Beta carotene