Another Fatty Acid and Prostate Cancer Study

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Epidemiology

Serum linoleic and total polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to

prostate and other cancers: A population-based cohort study

E. Laaksonen 1 4, Jari A. Laukkanen 2, Leo Niskanen 4,

Kristiina Nyyssönen 2, Tiina H. Rissanen 2 3, Sari Voutilainen 2,

Eero Pukkala 5, Hakkarainen 2, Jukka T. Salonen 2 3 6 *

1Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

2Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Kuopio,

Finland

3Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of

Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland

4Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

5Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and

Epidemiological Cancer Research, Helsinki, Finland

6Inner Savo Health Center, Suonenjoki, Finland

email: Jukka T. Salonen (Jukka.Salonen@...)

*Correspondence to Jukka T. Salonen, Research Institute of Public

Health, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland

Fax: 358-17-162936

Funded by:

Academy of Finland; Grant Number: 41471, 1041086, 2041022

Ministry of Education of Finland; Grant Number: 167/722/96,

157/722/97, 156/722/98

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the USA; Grant Number:

HL44199

Keywords

prostate cancer • polyunsaturated fatty acids • linoleic acid •

diet • prospective studies

Abstract

Dietary and serum fatty acid composition has been implicated in the

pathogenesis of prostate and other cancers, but findings have been

conflicting. Cohort studies reporting serum fatty acid composition

are lacking. We assessed the association of fatty acid composition

determined from dietary records and serum with incident cancer of the

prostate and any site in a population-based cohort of 2,002 middle-

aged Finnish men who were free of cancer at baseline and during the

first 4 years of follow-up. During 12.6 years of follow-up, 46 men

developed prostate cancer and 151 any cancer. Men with proportions of

serum nonesterified [risk ratio (RR) 0.28; 95% confidence intervals

(CI) 0.12-0.66] and esterified linoleic acid (RR 0.37; 95% CI = 0.16-

0.86) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (RR 0.30; 95% CI = 0.12-

0.71) in the upper third were less than 1/3 as likely to develop

prostate cancer during follow-up. Adjustment for possible confounders

like socioeconomic status, physical activity, obesity and insulin

concentrations did not attenuate the association. Similar but weaker

associations with any cancer were found. Dietary linoleic acid intake

also tended to be inversely associated with incident prostate cancer

(age-adjusted RR for the upper vs. lower third 0.55; 95% CI = 0.26-

1.14, p for the trend 0.097). Substitution of linoleic acid for

saturated fat in middle-aged men consuming a high saturated-fat diet

may decrease the risk of prostate and other cancers, although it is

possible that some of the effect may be mediated by nutrients closely

associated with vegetable fats. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Received: 23 May 2003; Revised: 10 July 2003; Accepted: 22 August 2003

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)