Diet and Lifestyle Habits in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Pilot Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Early-onset colorectal cancer (eoCRC), defined as a colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients younger than 50 years old, shows an increasing incidence worldwide in the latest years. The role of exogenous factors associated with CRC has been largely overlooked in eoCRC. Here, we conducted a case-control study to evaluate the diet and the lifestyle habits in an Italian population of patients with eoCRC, compared to age-matched healthy controls (HCs). METHODS: We enrolled 118 subjects (47 cases, 71 controls) in a third-level academic hospital. We analyzed epidemiological features (age, sex, body mass index), lifestyle behaviors (smoking habits, physical activity, type of diet, use of dietary supplements), and eating habits (semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire) in eoCRCs and HCs, covering the previous 5 years. RESULTS: In our cohort, positive family history of CRC was significantly associated with the development of eoCRC (p = 0.004). Fresh meat (p = 0.003), processed meat (p < 0.001), dairy products (p = 0.013), and smoking (p = 0.0001) were significantly associated with eoCRC compared to controls. Other variables did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Fresh and processed meat, dairy products, and smoking could be considered significant risk factors for eoCRC, although further confirmation by international multicenter studies is desirable. Diet and smoking could be the main areas of future interventions for eoCRC primary prevention.

Electroacupuncture analgesia for colonoscopy. a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: A study was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing patient's discomfort and anxiety during colonoscopy with a standard sedation protocol. METHODS: Thirty patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture, sham, or no acupuncture. A verbal rating scale was used to measure patient's pain when the endoscope reached four scheduled positions. Midazolam was administered at baseline and again anytime patients complained of "severe" pain. The amount of midazolam administered was recorded. A verbal rating scale was used to assess patient's satisfaction with the level of sedation achieved. RESULTS: Pain level was lower, although not significantly, in the acupuncture group. Midazolam boluses were required in three patients with acupuncture (30%), eight in the sham group (80%), and nine in the control group (90%) (p = 0.01). Six patients in the acupuncture group (60%) reported optimum acceptance of colonoscopy compared with only one in the sham group (10%) and none in the control group (0%) (p = 0.016). Satisfaction scores, assessed 24-72 h after colonoscopy, were extremely high (median score 90 of 100) in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may decrease the demand for sedative drugs during colonoscopy by reducing discomfort and anxiety of the patient and the well-known adverse effects of pharmacologic sedation.