Research
links diet, gardening and Lung Cancer risk
Newswise — By simply eating four or more
servings of green salad a week and working
in the garden once or twice a week, smokers
and nonsmokers alike may be able to
substantially reduce the risk of developing
lung cancer, say researchers at The
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center.
"This is the first risk prediction model to
examine the effects of diet and physical
activity on the possibility of developing
lung cancer," says Michele R. Forman, Ph.D.,
lead author of the study and a professor in
M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology.
Forman presented study results at the
American Association for Cancer Research
"Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research"
meeting Dec. 7 in Philadelphia, Pa.
The data are from an ongoing M. D. Anderson
case-control lung cancer study involving
more than 3,800 participants. Separate
epidemiologic risk assessment models were
developed for current and former smokers as
well as for those who have never smoked
("never smokers").
Forman's study looked at salad consumption
and gardening because, "salad is a marker
for the consumption of many vegetables and
gardening is an activity in which smokers
and nonsmokers can participate."
The baseline lung cancer prediction model
had moderate risk protection. The study
pairs M. D. Anderson lung cancer patients
with cancer-free current, former and never
smoker counterparts provided through a
partnership with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, a
Houston-based HMO.
By including diet and physical activity, the
discriminatory power of the model was raised
to 64 percent, 67 percent and 71 percent
respectively for never, former and current
smokers.
"This finding is exciting because not only
is it applicable to everyone, but it also
may have a positive impact on the 15 percent
of non-smokers who develop lung cancer,"
says Forman. The other risk factors include
exposure to secondhand smoke and dust,
family history of cancer and the patient's
history of respiratory disease and smoking.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
death for men and women, with more than
213,000 estimated new cases diagnosed each
year according to the American Cancer
Society. Smoking tobacco accounts for more
than eight of 10 lung cancer cases.
