Abstract LB-161: A comparison of dietary factors between early-onset and late-onset colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Burnett-Hartman Andrea N. , Ton Mimi (Trucmai) , He Chad (Qianchuan) , Malen Rachel C. , Phipps Amanda I. , Labadie Julia D. , Feigelson Heather Spencer , Newcomb Polly A. 
Published: September 2020

Purpose: Despite declines in the overall incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC), there have been increases in the incidence and mortality of CRC among those &lt; 50 years old (early-onset CRC). Although the reasons for the increases in early-onset CRC are unknown, one hypothesis is that temporal changes in dietary patterns has led to changes in the consumption of foods that are associated with increased CRC risk, in particular red and processed meats. Thus, the purpose of our analyses was to evaluate differences in dietary factors between early-onset and late-onset CRC patients. Methods: We used the Puget Sound SEER cancer registry to identify a population-based sample of patients diagnosed with CRC from 4/1/2016 through 12/31/2018. CRC patients were recruited to the study via mail and telephone, and consented patients completed a questionnaire assessing patient demographics, medical history, and CRC risk factors, including diet. For dietary factors, we ascertained information on the average number of servings per week of fruits, vegetables, red meat, processed meat, and “spicy” foods two years prior to CRC diagnosis. We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing dietary intake in early-onset vs. late-onset CRC. ORs were adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, cigarette smoking history, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and alcohol consumption. Results: There were 304 early-onset and 1,150 late-onset CRC patients in our analyses. Compared to late-onset patients, those with early-onset CRC were less likely to be current smokers or to have a history of diabetes or hyperlipidemia. After adjustment for these differences, compared to late-onset CRC, early-onset CRC patients had higher intake of red meat (OR for quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 = 1.49 CI: 1.02 - 2.17), processed meat (OR for quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 = 1.63 CI: 1.16 -2 .29), and spicy food (OR for quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 = 1.80 CI: 1.25 - 2.58). However, there was not a statistically significant difference between early- and late-onset CRC patients with regard to fruit (OR for quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 = 1.07 CI: 0.73 - 1.57) or vegetable (OR for quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 = 0.87 CI: 0.62 - 1.22) consumption. Conclusion: Our results suggest that dietary patterns differ between early- and late-onset CRC patients; in particular, early-onset CRC patients had higher intake of red meat, processed meat, and spicy food. This may reflect differences is dietary patterns by age; additional research with population-based controls is needed to determine the association between diet and early-onset colorectal cancer.

Citation Format: Andrea N. Burnett-Hartman, Mimi (Trucmai) Ton, Chad (Qianchuan) He, Rachel C. Malen, Amanda I. Phipps, Julia D. Labadie, Heather Spencer Feigelson, Polly A. Newcomb. A comparison of dietary factors between early-onset and late-onset colorectal cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-161.