Dietary Intakes of Selected Nutrients and Food Groups and Risk of Cervical Cancer

Abstract

We investigated the relationships between intakes of selected dietary nutrients and food groups and risk of cervical cancer in a hospital-based, case-control study including 239 cases diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and 979 hospital patients with nonneoplastic diagnoses who completed a self-administered questionnaire between 1982 and 1998 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age, education, smoking status, use of oral contraceptives, barrier contraceptives and spermicides, family history of cervical cancer, year questionnaire completed, and energy intake. Significant reductions in risk of approximately 40–60% were observed for women in the highest vs. lowest tertiles of dietary fiber (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37–0.94), vitamin C (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.33–0.80), vitamin E (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.27–0.72), vitamin A (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30–0.73), α -carotene (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.27–0.63), β -carotene (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.29–0.68), lutein (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.33–0.79), folate (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.34–0.88), and total fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.34–0.77). Our findings suggest that a diet rich in plant-based nutrients may be important in reducing the risk of cervical cancer.

Notes

^a Mean (SD); P value (t-test).

^b Not significant.

^c n (%); P value (χ² test).

^d Among parous women.

^e Diaphragm and condom.

^f Cream, foam, jelly.

^a OR adjusted for age, education, smoking status, oral contraceptive use, barrier and spermicide use, family history of cervical cancer, and year questionnaire completed.

^b Further adjusted for carbohydrates and fat.

^c Further adjusted for protein and fat.

^d Further adjusted for carbohydrates and protein.

^e Further adjusted for total fat.

^a OR adjusted for age, education, smoking status, oral contraceptive use, barrier and spermicide use, family history of cervical cancer, year questionnaire completed, and total energy intake.

^a Each food group adjusted for age, education, smoking status, oral contraceptive use, barrier and spermicide use, family history of cervical cancer, year questionnaire completed, and remaining food groups.