The Role of Selected Dietary Factors in the Etiology of Sporadic Colorectal Cancer: Results from a Population-Based Case-Control Study
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer in Canada. Some dietary factors have been identified for the prevention of CRC; however, the effect of consuming fish, fruit, non-starchy vegetables, coffee, or tea remains unclear. The associations between these dietary variables and CRC were investigated using 346 cases and 309 controls from the COLDENT case-control study. To incorporate duration and intensity of consumption, a measure of serving-years/cup-years was used. Multivariable logistic regression was used and included many covariates for adjustment. Associations of cumulative fish, fruit, non-starchy vegetable, coffee, and tea consumption with CRC were almost null. Results for recent past, distant past, and very distant past consumption categories were also close to null. Considering the potential for bias, the results suggest that the true association between these dietary exposures and CRC is not very strong.