Observational case-control study about the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in elderly oncological patients in Salento

Abstract

Background: Mediterranean Diet (MD) is the only alimentary model that could prevent degenerative chronic disease and cancer. We analyzed the alimentary habits of elderly oncological patients (pts), compared to healthy elderly pts, to evaluate the correlation between the adherence to MD and cancer development, due to the high incidence of tumor in Salento. Matherials (patients) and methods: 293 (155 males, 138 females) oncological pts (=70 years) were enrolled in the Oncology Unit of Vito Fazzi Hospital in Lecce and 135 elderly pts (=70 years) without cancer diagnosis. Predimed test was used to evaluate the alimentary habits and to define the adherence to MD, using 14 questions (score 0-14). A value =7 was estimated as low adherence, 8-9 as median adherence, =10 as high adherence. Oncological pts showed the subsequent diagnosis: lung, prostate, breast, urinary tract, gastric, colorectal cancer. Results: The main fat sauce in diet is extra-virgin olive oil (98% of pts). 37% of pts eat almost 2 times/die vegatables and 50% almost 3 times/die fruit. 71% of pts eat less that 1 time/die red meat, hamburger and sausages and 86% eat less than 1 time/die butter, margarine or cooking cream. During a week, 43% of pts drink > 7 glasses of red wine, 22% eat 3 times legumes and 15% eat fish more than 3 times. 44% eat less han 3 times/week cakes and 34% eat dried fruit. 59% eat white meal and 90% eat more than 2 times/week vegatables, pasta or rice. Low adherence to MD is showed for oncological pts and healthy pts in 46% and 15% respectively, median adherence 25% and 48%, high adherence 28% and 36%. Conclusions: In healthy pts a higher adherence to MD was observed and they eat more vegetables, fruit and red wine, compared to oncological pts. Both pts groups eat low quantity of fish and legumes. Pts with urinary tract cancer shows a diet rich of vegetables (more than 2 times every day): this could be related to the ingestion of pesticides used in farming. Gastric cancer pts showed a low use of onion and garlic, so an protective role in development of this disease is confirmed (as previously demonstrated in literature). Healthy women drink more red wine than breast cancer pts: red wine polyphenols could prevent the breast cancer disease. The results of this study suggests that could be a relationship between the adherence to MD and the incidence of tumor, but further studies, in a several number of pts, are necessary to confirm this hipothesys.