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Research: JIAN and colleagues,
Listed in Issue 114
Abstract
JIAN and colleagues, School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, have investigated whether lycopene and other carotenoids afford protection against prostate cancer.
Background
The aim of the study was to determine whether the consumption of lycopene (the main pigment of tomatoes) and other carotenoids is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.
Methodology
A case-control study was carried out in Hangzhou, China. 130 patients with diagnosed prostate carcinoma were compared to 274 controls without any malignancies. Details of their habitual diet were collected in interviews using a structured food frequency questionnaire. The risks of prostate cancer for the intake of carotenoids were assessed using multivariate logistic regression after controlling for a number of confounding variables.
Results
The risk of prostate cancer decreased with increasing dietary intake of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Intake of tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, watermelon and citrus fruits were also inversely associated with prostate cancer risk. The odds ratio of lowest vs. highest quartile of lycopene intake was 0.18. There was also a dose-response relationship which reached statistical significance.
Conclusion
The results presented here suggest that a diet rich in tomatoes and other carotenoid-containing fruit and vegetables may protect against prostate cancer.
References
Jian L, Du CJ, Lee AH, Binns CW. Do dietary lycopene and other carotenoids protect against prostate cancer? International Journal of Cancer. 113 (6): 1010-1014, Mar 1, 2005.
