Abstract 2821: Dietary lycopene and prostate cancer risk in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

Abstract

Abstract In the U.S., tomatoes and tomato products contribute almost all dietary intake of lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties. Some studies have shown reduced prostate cancer risk with diets high in lycopene or tomato-rich foods (e.g., pizza), yet others have not. Despite numerous investigations, there is no consensus concerning the relationship between lycopene and prostate cancer risk. We examined the relation between dietary lycopene and risk of prostate cancer within the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP Diet and Health Study, a large prospective cohort investigation of dietary and environmental cancer risk factors among men aged 50-71 upon enrollment in 1995-1996 (n=292,482). Cox proportional hazards regression models with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were adjusted for age, race, education, height, body mass index, physical activity, family history of prostate cancer, diabetes, prostate-specific antigen testing, digital rectal examination, total energy, α-tocopherol, calcium, α-linolenic acid, selenium, red meat, and fish. There were 15,229 nonadvanced and 1,889 advanced incident prostate cancers identified through 2003 and 510 fatal prostate cancers through 2005. The median intake of dietary lycopene was 2.5 mg/day in the lowest quintile and 14.9 mg/day in the highest quintile of intake. Total lycopene consumption was associated with a slight reduction in risk of nonadvanced prostate cancer (HR= 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88 − 0.99), but there was no association with advanced or fatal prostate cancers. Similar patterns were observed for total tomato consumption. No individual tomato-rich food affected nonadvanced prostate cancer risk. Pizza was associated with a 15% reduction in advanced prostate cancers (95% CI: 0.72 − 1.00) and a 33% reduction in fatal prostate cancers (95% CI: 0.47 − 0.96), whereas salsa consumption was associated with a 28% increase in advanced prostate cancers (95% CI: 1.10 − 1.48). Considering the overall null association between lycopene intake and advanced prostate cancer, it is possible other constituents in these foods may be affecting cancer risk; alternatively, these results for specific foods may be due to chance. Overall, these data suggest that dietary lycopene may be associated with minimal reductions in nonadvanced prostate cancer risk. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2821.