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Intake of whole-grain products and risk of prostate cancer among men in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study

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Abstract

Objective

High intake of whole-grain products may protect against prostate cancer, but overall evidence is limited and inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the intake of whole-grain products and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort.

Methods

A total of 26,691 men aged 50–64 years participated in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study and provided information about diet and potential prostate cancer risk factors. During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, we identified 1,081 prostate cancer cases. Associations between whole-grain product intake and prostate cancer incidence were analyzed using Cox’s regression model.

Results

Overall, there was no association between total intake of whole-grain products and prostate cancer risk (adjusted incidence rate ratio per 50 g day−1: 1.00 (95% confidence interval: 0.96, 1.05)) as well as between intake of the specific whole-grain products: whole-grain rye bread, whole-grain bread, and oatmeal, and risk of prostate cancer. No risk estimates did differ according to either stage or grade of disease.

Conclusions

Results from this prospective study suggest that higher intakes of total or specific whole-grain products are not associated with risk of prostate cancer in a population of Danish middle-aged men.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Katja Boll (data manager), Connie Stripp (dietician), and Jytte Fogh Larsen (project coordinator) for assistance with the data collection and handling. This study was supported by a grant from the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Programme Commission on Food and Health for the project “Breaking down barriers for healthier eating by consumer-led product development.”

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Rikke Egeberg, Anja Olsen, Jane Christensen, Nina Føns Johnsen & Anne Tjønneland

  2. Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Steffen Loft

  3. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Kim Overvad

Authors
  1. Rikke Egeberg
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  2. Anja Olsen
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  3. Jane Christensen
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  4. Nina Føns Johnsen
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  5. Steffen Loft
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  6. Kim Overvad
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  7. Anne Tjønneland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rikke Egeberg.

Additional information

The work has been performed at Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Egeberg, R., Olsen, A., Christensen, J. et al. Intake of whole-grain products and risk of prostate cancer among men in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study. Cancer Causes Control 22, 1133–1139 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9789-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9789-5

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