Nutrient-based dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk: a case-control study from Italy

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Nutritional Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Prostate cancer risk factors are complex and not fully understood.
• The influence of specific dietary patterns on prostate cancer remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between complex dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk.
• To identify specific dietary patterns linked to increased or decreased risk.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 1,294 prostate cancer cases and 1,451 controls.
• Principal component factor analysis of 28 nutrients to define dietary patterns.
• Logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs).

Main Results:

• Five dietary patterns were identified: Animal Products, Vitamins and Fiber, Starch-rich, Vegetable Unsaturated Fatty Acids (VUFA), and Animal Unsaturated Fatty Acids (AUFA).
• Positive associations with prostate cancer were found for Animal Products (OR 1.51), Starch-rich (OR 1.50), and AUFA (OR 1.32) patterns.
• No significant associations were observed for Vitamins and Fiber (OR 0.93) and VUFA (OR 1.16) patterns.

Conclusions:

• Diets high in animal products (meat, dairy) are associated with an unfavorable role in prostate cancer.
• Consumption of refined cereals and sugars, as part of a starch-rich pattern, also appears to increase prostate cancer risk.