Abstract
Objective: In this study we examine the combined effects of Western diet, age at diagnosis, and genetic susceptibility.
Methods: We use data collected as part of an incident case–control study of colon cancer. Family history of colorectal cancer, N-acetyltransferase (NAT2), and gluathione-S-transferase (GSTM-1) are studied with Western diet and age at diagnosis.
Results: A significant interaction between age at time of diagnosis, Western dietary pattern, and family history of colorectal cancer (p for interaction = 0.03) was detected. Those with a family history of colorectal cancer who ate a predominantly Western diet were at increased risk of colon cancer (OR 14.0, 95% CI 3.9–50.1 for ≤55 years; OR 7.7, 95% CI 2.0–29.1 for 56–66 years; OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.8–3.2 for ≥67 years) compared to those without a family history of colorectal cancer and low levels of a Western diet. Associations with the Western diet were stronger than individual components of the dietary pattern. Neither NAT2 nor GSTM-1 showed significant interaction with Western diet.
Conclusion: The extent to which diet comprising a Western dietary pattern influences risk of colon cancer is dependent on age. This dietary pattern also appears to modulate the colon cancer risk associated with a family history of colon cancer.
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Slattery, M., Potter, J., Ma, KN. et al. Western diet, family history of colorectal cancer, NAT2, GSTM-1 and risk of colon cancer. Cancer Causes Control 11, 1–8 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008913619957
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008913619957