High Childhood Dairy Intake Triples Later Colorectal Cancer Risk

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1722-9.

" Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the

Boyd Orr cohort. "

van der Pols JC, Bain C, Gunnell D, Davey G, Frobisher C,

RM.

Longitudinal Studies Unit, Division of Epidemiology and Social

Medicine, School of Population Health, University of Queensland,

Brisbane, Australia.

" BACKGROUND: Dairy consumption affects biological pathways associated

with carcinogenesis. Evidence for a link between cancer risk and

dairy consumption in adulthood is increasing, but associations with

childhood dairy consumption have not been studied adequately.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether dairy consumption in childhood is

associated with cancer incidence and mortality in adulthood. DESIGN:

From 1937 through 1939, some 4999 children living in England and

Scotland participated in a study of family food consumption, assessed

from 7-d household food inventories. The National Health Service

central register was used to ascertain cancer registrations and

deaths between 1948 and 2005 in the 4383 traced cohort members. Per

capita household intake estimates for dairy products and calcium were

used as proxy for individual intake. RESULTS: During the follow-up

period, 770 cancer registrations or cancer deaths occurred. High

childhood total dairy intake was associated with a near-tripling in

the odds of colorectal cancer [multivariate odds ratio: 2.90 (95% CI:

1.26, 6.65); 2-sided P for trend = 0.005] compared with low intake,

independent of meat, fruit, and vegetable intakes and socioeconomic

indicators. Milk intake showed a similar association with colorectal

cancer risk. High milk intake was weakly inversely associated with

prostate cancer risk (P for trend = 0.11). Childhood dairy intake was

not associated with breast and stomach cancer risk; a positive

association with lung cancer risk was confounded by smoking behavior

during adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: A family diet rich in dairy products

during childhood is associated with a greater risk of colorectal

cancer in adulthood. Confirmation of possible underlying biological

mechanisms is needed. "

PMID: 18065592

Rodney.