Plasma Albumin, Bilirubin, and Uric Acid and the Subsequent Risk of Cancer: A Case-Cohort Study in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.

Several epidemiological studies have investigated the circulating levels of albumin, bilirubin, and uric acid (UA) in relation to cancer risk; however, they have provided equivocal evidence. In this prospective case-cohort study, we aimed to explore the association of plasma albumin, bilirubin, and UA levels with cancer incidence. We measured the plasma levels of albumin, bilirubin, and UA and investigated their association with cancer incidence in 3,584 cases and 4,270 randomly selected participants with a median follow-up of 15.8 years. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of total cancer for the highest (Q4) versus lowest quartile (Q1) was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.67-0.90, P for trend: <0.001) for albumin. This association was attenuated after excluding liver cancer cases with lower plasma albumin levels. Plasma bilirubin levels were positively related to liver cancer but inversely to total cancer after excluding liver cancer with adjusted HR Q4 vs. Q1 of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.74-0.99, P for trend = 0.015). Plasma UA levels were not dose-responsively associated with total cancer risk. Higher plasma bilirubin levels were associated with a decreased risk of total cancer after excluding liver cancer, which is likely attributed to the antioxidant properties of bilirubin.

Association between fish and shellfish consumption, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and gastric cancer risk: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: Fish and shellfish consumption is suggested to be a cancer-protective factor. However, studies investigating this association for gastric cancer, especially considering Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and atrophic gastritis (AG), are limited. We investigated gastric cancer risk associated with fish, shellfish, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) consumption among Japanese adults. METHODS: 90,504 subjects enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study) were followed until December 2013. Dietary intake data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for gastric cancer risk associated with fish and shellfish consumption and marine n-3 PUFAs (sum of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) using Cox proportional hazards models. Among those with avaliable data, we conducted a subgroup analysis taking H. pylori infection and AG status  into consideration. RESULTS: There were 2,701 gastric cancer cases during an average of 15 years of follow-up. We observed an increased gastric cancer risk for salted fish consumption for men [HR for fifth quintile versus first quintile 1.43 (95% CI 1.18-1.75)] and for women [HR 1.33 (95% CI 1.00-1.77)]. We observed a weak risk reduction trend for women as the intake of marine n-3 PUFAs increased (p-trend:0.07). When we included H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis status in the analysis, the associations diminished. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that salted fish increases gastric cancer risk for men and women, while marine n-3 PUFAs marginally decreases this risk among women in Japan.