Consumption of fruit, vegetables, and other food groups and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Purpose The role of dietary habits in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been extensively investigated in high-incidence areas, but evidence is scanty in low-incidence populations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NPC risk and a wide range of food groups in the Italian population. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Italy on 198, histologically confirmed, NPC cases of Caucasian ethnicity, aged 18-76 years. Controls were 594 Caucasian cancer-free patients admitted to general hospitals for acute conditions. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and energy intake. Results Elevated vegetable consumption was inversely related to NPC risk (OR for highest vs. lower quartile = 0.51; 95 % CI 0.29-0.90). The association was particularly strong for yellow- or red-pigmented vegetables (OR = 0.31; 95 % CI 0.18-0.54), and this effect was stronger among never smokers (OR = 0.18; 95 % CI 0.06-0.55) than among ever smokers (OR = 0.37; 95 % CI 0.19-0.71). Increased NPC risk emerged for elevated eggs consumption (OR = 2.50; 95 % CI 1.44-4.32; p-Trend \0.01). No significant associations emerged between NPC risk and consumption of cereals, meat, fish, dairy products, and sweets. Conclusions The study findings show that, also in lowrisk populations, vegetable consumption is a protective factor against NPC. The stronger effect for yellow- or redpigmented vegetables is in agreement with the inverse association reported for carotenoids intake.