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Low adherence to the western and high adherence to the mediterranean dietary patterns could prevent colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess if the associations found between three previously identified dietary patterns with breast, prostate and gastric cancer are also observed for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

MCC-Spain is a multicase-control study that collected information of 1629 incident cases of CRC and 3509 population-based controls from 11 Spanish provinces. Western, Prudent and Mediterranean data-driven dietary patterns—derived in another Spanish case-control study—were reconstructed in MCC-Spain. Their association with CRC was assessed using mixed multivariable logistic regression models considering a possible interaction with sex. Risk by tumor site (proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum) was evaluated using multinomial regression models.

Results

While no effect of the Prudent pattern on CRC risk was observed, a high adherence to the Western dietary pattern was associated with increased CRC risk for both males [ORfourth(Q4) vs. first(Q1)quartile (95% CI): 1.45 (1.11;1.91)] and females [ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 1.50 (1.07;2.09)] but seem to be confined to distal colon [ORfourth(Q4) vs. first(Q1)quartile (95% CI): 2.02 (1.44;2.84)] and rectal [ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 1.46 (1.05;2.01)] tumors. The protective effect of the Mediterranean dietary pattern against CRC was observed for both sexes [males: ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 0.71 (0.55;0.92); females: ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 0.56 (0.40;0.77)] and for all cancer sites: proximal colon [ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 0.70 (0.51;0.97)], distal colon [ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 0.65 (0.48;0.89)], and rectum (ORQ4 vs. Q1 (95% CI): 0.60 (0.45;0.81)].

Conclusion

Our results are consistent with most of the associations previously found between these patterns and breast, prostate and gastric cancer risk and indicate that consuming whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts, and fish and avoiding red and processed meat, refined grains, sweets, caloric drinks, juices, convenience food, and sauces might reduce CRC risk.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Carlos III Institute of Health grants (PI12/00488, PI12/00265, PI12/00715, PI12/01270, PI11/01403, PI11/01889, PI11/00226, PI11/01810, PI11/02213, PI09/00773, PI09/01286, PI09/01903, PI09/02078, PI09/01662, PI08/1770, PI08/0533, PI08/1359), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (IJCI-2014-20900), Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI-0306-2011; PI-0571-2009); Catalan Government DURSIgrant (2014SGR647);Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-funded by FEDER funds—a way to build Europe—PI14-00613; Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla (API 10/09); Acción Transversal del Cancer, approved by the Spanish Ministry Council on October 11, 2007; Red Temática de Investigación del Cáncer del ISCIII (RD12/0036/0036); Junta de Castilla y León (LE22A10-2); Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (2009-S0143); Conselleria de Sanitat de la Generalitat Valenciana (AP_061/10); Recercaixa (2010ACUP 00310); Regional Government of the Basque Country; Consejería de Sanidad de la Región de Murcia; European Commission grants (FOOD-CT-2006-036224-HIWATE); Spanish Association Against Cancer Scientific Foundation; Fundación Caja de Ahorros de Asturias; University of Oviedo. None of the sponsors intervened in any of the stages of the research.

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Correspondence to Adela Castelló.

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The MCC-Spain study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of each the participating institutions and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All participants were informed about the study objectives and signed an informed consent.

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Castelló, A., Amiano, P., Fernández de Larrea, N. et al. Low adherence to the western and high adherence to the mediterranean dietary patterns could prevent colorectal cancer. Eur J Nutr 58, 1495–1505 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1674-5

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