phytosterols and Rectal-Neoplasms

Plant sterols in vegetable foods might prevent colorectal cancer.. The objective was to study plant sterol intakes in relation to colorectal cancer risk in an epidemiologic study.. The study was performed within the framework of the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer in 120852 subjects who completed a baseline questionnaire in 1986. After 6.3 y of follow-up, 620 colon and 344 rectal cancer cases were detected. A case-cohort approach was used to calculate confounder-adjusted rate ratios (RRs) and their 95% CIs for quintiles of plant sterol intake.. The total mean (+/-SD) intake of campesterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, campestanol, and beta-sitostanol was 285 +/- 97 mg/d. Major contributors to plant sterol intake were bread (38%), vegetable fats (26%), and fruit and vegetables (21%). For men, there was no clear association between intake of any of the plant sterols and colon cancer risk when age, smoking, alcohol use, family history of colorectal cancer, education level, and cholecystectomy were controlled for. Adjustment for energy did not alter the result. For rectal cancer, adjustment for energy resulted in positive associations between risk and campesterol and stigmasterol intakes. For women, there was no clear association between intake of any of the plant sterols and colorectal cancer risk.. A high dietary intake of plant sterols was not associated with a lower risk of colon and rectal cancers in the Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer.

Topics: Aged; Bread; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol; Cohort Studies; Colorectal Neoplasms; Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; Dietary Fats; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fruit; Humans; Hypolipidemic Agents; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Phytosterols; Prospective Studies; Rectal Neoplasms; Risk Factors; Sitosterols; Stigmasterol; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables

In this necroscopy study the relation between carriage and size of colorectal polyps was correlated with luminal steroid concentrations in respect to malignant risk. Of the 92 subjects entered into the study, 68 had adenomatous polyps of the large bowel, of which 19 had adenomas > 0.9 cm in diameter (large adenomas), 26 in the range 0.5-0.9 cm in diameter (medium adenomas) and 23 of 0.4 cm or less in diameter (small adenomas). Sixty-three percent of subjects carrying large adenomas and 26% of persons carrying small adenomas had an abnormal ratio (> 1.0) of lithocholic acid to deoxycholic acid in intestinal contents as compared to 17% of the adenoma-free comparison group (n = 24). These findings support the suggestion that the ratio of lithocholic acid to deoxycholic acid as a faecal marker may be a useful adjunct to screening procedures for colorectal cancer.

Topics: Adenoma; Aged; Bile Acids and Salts; Biomarkers, Tumor; Cholestanol; Cholesterol; Cholesterol Esters; Colonic Polyps; Deoxycholic Acid; Feces; Female; Gastrointestinal Contents; Humans; Lithocholic Acid; Male; Middle Aged; Phytosterols; Polyps; Rectal Neoplasms; Steroids; Sterols