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Nutritional factors and prostate cancer: a case-control study of French Canadians in Montreal, Canada

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The relationship between the risk of prostate cancer and dietary intake of energy, fat, vitamin A, and other nutrients was investigated in a case-control study conducted in Montreal (Quebec), Canada. French Canadians aged 35 to 84 years with a recent, histologically confirmed diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate were identified through the admission offices of five major francophone teaching-hospitals in Montreal from 1989 to 1993. Population-based controls matched for age (±five years), language, and place of residence were selected by a modified random-digit dialing method. The study included 232 cases and 231 controls. Information on dietary intake was collected by means of a quantitative dietary history. No association was evident between energy intake and the risk of prostate cancer. In contrast, there was some evidence of an inverse association with intake of total fat, animal fat, monounsaturated fat, and particularly saturated fat (odds ratio = 0.69, 95 percent confidence interval = 0.40–1.18, P=0.05), while a nonsignificant positive association was found with polyunsaturated fat. In addition, high intake of retinol and vegetable protein (highest cf lowest quartile) was associated with reduced risk, but was not statistically significant. No associations were established between intake of other nutrients and risk. These patterns persisted after adjustment for a number of potential confounding factors.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology Research Unit, Research Center, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    P. Ghadirian, A. Lacroix & C. Perret

  2. Laboratory of Nutrition and Cancer, Research Center, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal

    A. Lacroix

  3. European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy

    P. Maisonneuve

  4. Division of Urology, Research Center, Hôtel-Dieu de, Montréal

    G. Drouin

  5. Division of Urology, Saint-Luc Hospital, Quebec.

    J. P. Perrault

  6. Division of Urology, Notre-Dame Hospital, Department of Nutrition, Medicine and Surgery, University of Montreal, Quebec.

    G. Béland

  7. National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC), Epidemiology Unit, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    T. E. Rohan

  8. Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

    G. R. Howe

Authors
  1. P. Ghadirian
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  2. A. Lacroix
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  3. P. Maisonneuve
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  4. C. Perret
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  5. G. Drouin
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  6. J. P. Perrault
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  7. G. Béland
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  8. T. E. Rohan
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  9. G. R. Howe
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Additional information

This study was supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada and the Cancer Research Society.

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Ghadirian, P., Lacroix, A., Maisonneuve, P. et al. Nutritional factors and prostate cancer: a case-control study of French Canadians in Montreal, Canada. Cancer Causes Control 7, 428–436 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052669

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052669

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