A case-control study on dietary carotenoids intake and lung cancer risk in former smokers Hongbing Shen, Qingyi Wei, Patricia C. Pillow, Christopher I. Amos, Waun K. Hong, Margaret R. Spitz. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Epidemiological studies have identified inverse associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of lung cancer. It has been suggested that carotenoids found in a variety of fruits and vegetables play a role in this association, but intervention studies have failed to confirm a protective role for â-carotene in current smokers. In this case-control study of former smokers, we evaluated the associations between dietary intake of five common carotenoids (i.e., á-carotene, â-carotene, lutein + zeaxanthin, â-cryptoxanthin and lycopene) and lung cancer risk among 470 histopathologically-confirmed incident lung cancer cases and 472 cancer-free controls, frequency-matched to the cases on age, sex, and ethnicity. Dietary intake levels of these five carotenoids and a total carotenoid value were estimated from a 135-item food frequency questionnaire collected between 1995 and 2001. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratio (ORs) and their 95% confidence interval (CIs). Mean dietary intakes of these five carotenoids (adjusted for caloric intake) were all higher among the controls than among the cases, and the differences for â-carotene, lutein, and total carotenoids between cases and controls were statistically significant. Significant protective effects on lung cancer risk were found for the highest versus the lowest quartiles of á-carotene (OR=0.58), â-carotene (OR=0.49), lutein + zeaxanthin (OR=0.54), but not for â-cryptoxanthin and lycopene. After adjustment for the other carotenoids, only â-carotene and lutein remained inversely associated with lung cancer risk. A significant 60% decreased risk of lung cancer was observed for subjects in the highest intake subgroup (OR=0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.64) compared with those in the lowest intakes. These inverse associations were more evident among those who reported having been heavy smokers and those who did not take multivitamin supplements. These findings support a notion that a combination of carotenoids other than an individual carotenoid from diet may have the potential to reduce lung cancer risk. (Supported by NCI grants CA 55769, CA55769 and CA 86390). AACR Abstract Number: 3991, 2003 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.