Fat consumption and selected gastrointestinal cancers morbidity rates in Poland in the years 1960-2014

Abstract

Introduction: Data from the literature suggest that body fatness may increase the risk of some cancers, among others: colorectal, pancreatic and oesophageal. Body fatness frequently is related to the proportion of energy from fat. Morbidity due to the above cancers may be also influenced by the content of the saturated, and mono- and polyunsaturated fats in the diet. This in turn is in great extent dependent on the structure of the edible fats consumption. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between trends in fat consumption and mentioned cancers morbidity in Poland. Methods: The study was based on colorectal, pancreatic and oesophageal cancer incidence rates derived from the National Cancer Registry in 1960-2014. Data on fat consumption (in kg/person/year) were derived from the national food balance sheets. Analysis included the consumption of animal and vegetable fat. Data on the per-cent of energy from fat were obtained through conversion of food consumption data into energy and nutrients. The per-cent of energy from fat was considered as a marker of body fatness. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to estimate the relationship between the examined variables. Results: There was a permanent increase in the energy proportion derived from fat in Poland during observed period: it reached 39.6% in 2014 in comparison to only 25.3% in 1960. This increase was clearly related to the growth of morbidity due to colorectal cancer (0.97 for males and females), and in 1960-1989 also to the morbidity increase due to pancreatic (0.70 for males and 0.79 for females) and to oesophageal cancer (0.54 for males). Since the mid-90s of the twentieth century a marked decline of pancreatic and oesophageal cancer morbidity began to be observed. The colorectal cancer morbidity continues to grow, but to a lesser degree than in previous years. There has been a permanent declining trend in the animal fats consumption in Poland since 1990 accompanied by a rapidly growing vegetable fats consumption. In 1990-2014 animal fat consumption positively correlated with pancreatic (0.80 for males and 0.47 for females) and oesophageal cancer (0.75 for males) incidence rates. Adverse correlations were found between vegetable fat consumption and pancreatic (-0.92 for males and -0.62 for females) and oesophageal cancer (-0.86 for males) morbidity. Conclusion: A relation between growing energy proportion derived from fat in the diet of the Poles and a long-term increase in the morbidity rates due to colorectal, pancreatic and oesophageal cancer shows that the high incidence of these cancers could be related to overweight and obesity (the proportion of energy from fat is a marker of body fatness). Positive trends in the structure of the edible fats consumption in Poland could favourably affect some gastrointestinal cancers such as pancreatic and oesophageal cancer morbidity and probably was one of the reasons of the observed decline in these cancers incidence in recent years.