B Vitamins, Methionine and Alcohol Intake and Risk of Colon Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Eva S. Schernhammer, Edward Giovannucci, Yoshifumi Baba, Charles S. Fuchs, Shuji Ogino
Primary Institution: Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Hypothesis
How one-carbon nutrients affect the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) or BRAF mutation status in colon cancer remains uncertain.
Conclusion
Low level intake of folate may be associated with an increased risk of CIMP-low/0 colon tumors, but not that of CIMP-high tumors.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher folate intake was associated with a trend towards low risk of CIMP-low/0 tumors.
- Total folate intake had no influence on CIMP-high tumor risks.
- B vitamins, methionine or alcohol intake did not affect colon cancer risk differentially by BRAF status.
Takeaway
Eating enough folate is important because not getting enough might increase the risk of a certain type of colon cancer.
Methodology
The study utilized a large prospective cohort of women from the Nurses' Health Study to assess the relationship between one-carbon nutrient intake and colon cancer risk by CIMP and BRAF status.
Potential Biases
Potential for residual confounding due to unmeasured factors.
Limitations
The study could not obtain tumor tissue from all confirmed colon cancer cases, and there may be residual confounding.
Participant Demographics
Participants were U.S. female registered nurses aged 30 to 55 years at baseline.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.53–1.02
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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