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A prospective study on dietary fat and incidence of prostate cancer (Malmö, Sweden)

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Abstract

Objective

To study the associations between intake of various types of fat and risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in a population-based cohort.

Methods

We have studied 10,564 initially cancer-free men of the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort, aged 45–73 years. Diet was assessed by a modified diet history method. Cases and clinical characteristics were ascertained via national and regional registry data.

Results

During a mean follow-up of 11.0 years, 817 incidental PCa cases were diagnosed. Out of these, 281 were classified as advanced. There were 202 cases occurring before 65 years of age. After adjustment for age and energy intake, there was no association between intake of any types of fat and risk of PCa, or between fat intake and advanced PCa or PCa occurring in persons aged <65 years. However, we observed positive associations between intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and risk of PCa. After adjustment for multiple confounders, the latter associations were weakened, but the results were otherwise virtually unchanged.

Conclusions

This large study, with high-validity dietary data, does not support an association between intake of total, saturated, or mono-unsaturated fat and PCa risk. The observed associations between EPA/DHA intakes and PCa are difficult to interpret.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ulla Lindström, RN, Dept. of Urology, Malmö University Hospital for retrieval of clinical data. We also thank the staff and participants of the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden

    Peter Wallström, Bo Gullberg & Elisabet Wirfält

  2. Division of Urological Cancers, Urology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden

    Anders Bjartell

  3. Department of Surgery/Urology Service, Sidney Kimmel Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Anders Bjartell

  4. Cancer Epidemiology, Division V, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Håkan Olsson

Authors
  1. Peter Wallström
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  2. Anders Bjartell
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  3. Bo Gullberg
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  4. Håkan Olsson
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  5. Elisabet Wirfält
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Wallström.

Additional information

Financial support has been received from the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Medical Research Council, Region Skåne, The Swedish Nutrition Foundation and the Ernhold Lundström Research Foundation.

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Wallström, P., Bjartell, A., Gullberg, B. et al. A prospective study on dietary fat and incidence of prostate cancer (Malmö, Sweden). Cancer Causes Control 18, 1107–1121 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-007-9050-4

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