[Serum cholesterol and cancer mortality: eleven-year prospective cohort study on more than nine thousand persons]

Nine thousand and twenty-one employees aged 35-64 years were investigated in the 70s in the meantime with serum cholesterol and other measurements taken, and followed up for 11 years on the average. There were 595 deaths and 64 loss of follow-up. The total number of cancer death was 263 that of primary liver cancer was 51. Subjects were divided into 4 similar sized groups according to serum cholesterol level at basal measurement. No evidence of association of serum cholesterol level with total cancer mortality was seen by Log-rank trend test. But negative correlation was significant between serum cholesterol level and liver cancer (P < 0.05). By Cox regression analysis such negative correlation was found to be independent of other variables (Z = -2.18, P < 0.05). This negative correlation persisted even after 14 deaths of primary liver cancer which occurred within 3 years after measurement of serum cholesterol was discounted. Similar negative correlation also existed between serum cholesterol level and chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis.