Colon cancer in Argentina. I: Risk from intake of dietary items.

A case-control study has been conducted to investigate the relationship between dietary components and risk of colon cancer in the La Plata area of Argentina. Cases are 110 patients newly diagnosed with colon cancer in 10 major hospitals between 1985 and 1986. Two neighbourhood controls per case were individually matched by age, sex and place of residence. Personal interviews elicited information on frequency of consumption of 140 food items during the 5-year period up to 6 months prior to interview. Risk is analyzed by quartiles of individual food items and groups of items. Multivariate conditional logistic regression modelling indicates that consumption of eggs is associated with increased risk for colon cancer (odds ratios by quartile: 1.0, 1.58, 2.02, 4.66), as are some dairy products (ORs of 1.93 for the highest quartile of consumption of cheese). Intake of vegetables, fish and poultry is associated with statistically significant decreasing risk (ORs of 0.075, 0.39 and 0.39, for the highest categories of consumption of vegetables, fish and poultry, respectively). The risk for red meat does not consistently increase as consumption increases. Risks are not altered by the inclusion of potential confounders such as education or body mass index. These findings confirm those of several previous studies and are of particular interest, since the Argentinean diet typically includes a high intake of red meat.

Colon cancer in Argentina. II: Risk from fibre, fat and nutrients.

A case-control study has been conducted to investigate the relationship between total energy intake, fibre and nutrients and colon cancer in Argentina. Cases are 110 newly diagnosed patients from 10 hospitals between 1985 and 1986. Two neighbourhood controls per case were matched on age, sex and place of residence. The intake of calories, fibre and nutrients was estimated from the information collected on food consumption during the 5-year period up to 6 months prior to interview of subjects, based on a pilot study and standard portion sizes in Argentina. In conditional regression models, dietary fibre is highly protective (odds ratio (OR) = 0.07 per 19.02 g/day; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02 to 0.25) and total energy intake increases risk (RR = 1.82 per 1000 kcal/day; 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.77), each with adjustment for the other. Analysis of caloric components (fat, protein and carbohydrates) reveals that carbohydrates are the most important factor driving the total energy effect. Other nutrients make little apparent contribution to risk.