Since food metabolites are eliminated by the urinary tract, several studies have investigated the association between diet and bladder cancer risk. Recently, the World Cancer Research Fund International/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) suggested a potential beneficial effect of some foods (mainly vegetables, fruit, and milk) in the development of bladder cancer. We investigated the association between food groups and bladder cancer risk, seeking insights into food diversity as well as meat cooking methods.
Data were derived from an Italian multicentre case-control study, conducted between 2003 and 2014, including 690 bladder cancer cases and 665 frequency-matched controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for various dietary aspects were estimated by unconditional logistic regression models adjusted for energy intake and the major known risk factors for bladder cancer.
Comparing the highest versus the lowest quartiles, consumption of vegetables (OR = 0.62; 95%CI: 0.44-0.88) and milk/yogurt (OR = 0.62; 95%CI: 0.44-0.87) reduced the risk of bladder cancer. Conversely, consumption of meat increased bladder cancer risk with an OR of 1.57 (95%CI: 1.07-2.31), particularly when the meat was stewed (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.03-2.09) or roasted (OR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.00-1.99). There was a suggestion that a diversified diet reduced the risk of bladder cancer, but this was not significant.
Our study consolidates the role of diet in bladder cancer aetiology, showing a reduced risk for vegetable and milk/yogurt consumption and an increased risk for meat consumption, especially when the meat is stewed or roasted.
Cancer epidemiology. 2019 Sep 26 [Epub]
Matteo Di Maso, Federica Turati, Cristina Bosetti, Maurizio Montella, Massimo Libra, Eva Negri, Monica Ferraroni, Carlo La Vecchia, Diego Serraino, Jerry Polesel
Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Epidemiology 'G.A. Maccacaro', Università degli Studi di Milano, Via A. Vanzetti 5, 20133, Milan, Italy; Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Torino, CTO Hospital, Via G. Zuretti 29, 10126, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: ., Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Epidemiology 'G.A. Maccacaro', Università degli Studi di Milano, Via A. Vanzetti 5, 20133, Milan, Italy., Department of Oncology, Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Laboratory of Methodology for Clinical Research, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, IRCSS, Via G. La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy., Unit of Epidemiology, Istituto Tumori Fondazione Pascale, IRCSS, Via M. Semmola 1, 80131, Naples, Italy., Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Laboratory of Transitional Oncology & Functional Genomics, Università degli Studi di Catania, Via Androne 83, 95194, Catania, Italy., Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Sacco Hospital, Via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157, Milan, Italy., Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Via F. Gallini 2, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy.