Case-control study of diet and mesothelioma in Louisiana

Data were analyzed from a case-control interview study of malignant mesothelioma in Louisiana, which gathered information on usual diet and on lifetime occupational exposure to asbestos. Thirty-seven patients with malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (n = 32) or peritoneum (n = 5) were matched to co...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1988-05, Vol.48 (10), p.2911-2915
Main Authors: SCHIFFMAN, M. H, PICKLE, L. W, FONTHAM, E, HOAR ZAHM, S, FALK, R, MELE, J, CORREA, P, FRAUMENI, J. F. JR
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Asbestos - adverse effects
Biological and medical sciences
Diet
Female
Humans
Louisiana
Male
Medical sciences
Mesothelioma - etiology
Middle Aged
Occupations
Peritoneal Neoplasms - etiology
Pleural Neoplasms - etiology
Pneumology
Risk Factors
Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
Vegetables
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Data were analyzed from a case-control interview study of malignant mesothelioma in Louisiana, which gathered information on usual diet and on lifetime occupational exposure to asbestos. Thirty-seven patients with malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (n = 32) or peritoneum (n = 5) were matched to controls according to age, sex, race, and factors related to case ascertainment (hospital and date of diagnosis, or parish and date of death). Twenty-one of the 37 cases were judged by masked occupational review to have been exposed to asbestos (57%), compared to seven of 37 controls (19%). Seven additional cases and 10 additional controls had occupational histories suggestive of asbestos exposure. With regard to usual diet before illness, cases reported less frequent consumption of homegrown produce (p = 0.005), cruciferous vegetables (p = 0.005), and all vegetables combined (p = 0.09) than did the controls. An estimate of usual carotene intake was also significantly lower in cases (p = 0.03). Dose-dependent reductions in risk were seen with increasing consumption of vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables (p for trend = 0.013). These associations were not explained by differences in asbestos exposure as measured by the occupational review. The results indicate that consumption of vegetables or some vegetable-related constituent may have a protective effect on developing mesothelioma.
ISSN:0008-5472
1538-7445