Cancer, vitamins, and plasma lipids: prospective Basel study
Stähelin, H.B.; Rösel, F.; Buess, E.; Brubacher, G.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute 73(6): 1463-1468
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0027-8874 PMID: 6595456 Document Number: 235454
In the Basel study (BS) (1960-73) on cardiovascular and peripheral arterial diseases, a mortality follow-up was completed for 1965-80. Of the 4224 men at risk for those diseases, 531 died. The causes of death were established from the death certificates and classified into 8 groups. For each patient, 2 age- and sex-matched controls were selected and compared with the corresponding patients with regard to the variables obtained at the 3 examinations (1960, 1965, 1971). In a report on cancer mortality, plasma lipids, plasma vitamins, alcohol and cigarette consumption, and intake of milk and citrus fruits, the results were all obtained at the second follow-up examination (BS III, 1971-73). Cancer of the lung, stomach, large bowel and all other sites were treated separately. The average follow-up from BS III until death varied from 3.7 years (other sites) to 4.9 years (cancer of the lung). Of 129 cancer deaths, the highest incidence was for cancer of the lung (38) followed by stomach (19) and large bowel (15) and the remainder (57) was for other sites. Plasma lipids did not differ significantly among patients and controls, but the values were lowest in colorectal cancer and gastric carcinoma (mean cholesterol, 213 mg/100 ml). beta -Carotene was significantly lower in cancer of the lung than in controls (14.8 mu g/100 ml against 23.7). It was also low in gastric cancer (13.0 mu g/100 ml). Vitamin A was below average only in patients with gastric cancer (difference due to the small number not significant). Vitamin C was consistently lower in cancer patients than in controls. The lowest value was with cancer of the stomach and corresponded to a below-average intake of citrus fruits. Vitamin E was low in cancer of the colon. Plasma lipids were correlated strongly with vitamin E and to less extent with vitamin A. beta -Carotene was correlated poorly with beta -lipoproteins (low-density and very-low-density lipoproteins) but significantly with total cholesterol. Smoking was inversely related, as was alcohol intake, to the beta -carotene value. From the results, it is concluded that vitamins influence carcinogenesis in man.