Abstract 5310: A prospective study of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes and lung cancer risk
Authors: Luu Hung N. , Murff Harvey J. , Li Honglan , Cai Qiuyin , Gao Yu-Tang , Gao Jing , Cai Hui , Yang Gong , Lan Qing , Xiang Yong-Bing , Zheng Wei , Shu Xiao-Ou 
Published: July 2017

Background. Animal studies have shown that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have antineoplastic and anti-inflammatory properties. Results from epidemiologic studies, however, have been inconclusive. We prospectively evaluated the association of dietary PUFA intakes and lung cancer risk in two population-based cohort studies, the Shanghai Men’s Health Study (SMHS) and Shanghai Women’s Health Study (SWHS).

Methods. A total of 130,823 study participants (i.e., 60,427 men and 70,396 women) were included in the current analysis. Dietary fatty acid intakes were derived from data collected at the baseline by validated food frequency questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the association between PUFAs intake and lung cancer risk with adjustment for age, smoking status, smoking packs-year (men only), drinking status, BMI, physical activity status, total energy, red meat intake, vegetable intake, vitamin supplemental use, menopausal status and hormone replacement therapy (women only).

Results. We found an inverse association between total PUFA intakes and lung cancer risk [hazard ratios (HRs) and respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for quintiles 2, 3, 4, and 5 versus quintile 1 were 0.73 (0.56-0.95), 0.78 (0.59-1.03), 0.64 (0.47-0.87) and 0.55 (0.37-0.82) in SMHS and 0.69 (0.53-0.90), 0.76 (0.58-0.99), 0.60 (0.44-0.81), and 0.53 (0.36-0.79) in SWHS)]. A similar pattern was observed for consumption of linoleic acid, total n-6 PUFAs and the ratio n-6 PUFAs/n-3 PUFAs in adenocarcinoma patients. This inverse association was more likely in male ever-smokers for total PUFAs, linoleic acid and total n-6 PUFAs. On the other hand, EPA intake was positively associated with lung cancer risk in female never-smokers [HRs and 95% CIs: 1.10 (0.85-1.42), 1.36 (1.05-1.77), 1.28 (0.97-1.88) and 1.30 (0.97-1.74), for quintiles 2-5 versus quintile 1]. A similar positive association between DHA intake and lung cancer risk in female never-smokers was also observed.

Conclusions. Total polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic and total n-6 PUFA intakes were associated with decreased risk of lung cancer. EPA and DHA intakes were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer among female never-smokers.

Financial Support: This work was supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (R37 CA070867 and UM1 CA182910 - to Wei Zheng; R01 CA082729, UM1 CA173640 and R25 CA160056 - to Xiao-Ou Shu)

Citation Format: Hung N. Luu, Harvey J. Murff, Honglan Li, Qiuyin Cai, Yu-Tang Gao, Jing Gao, Hui Cai, Gong Yang, Qing Lan, Yong-Bing Xiang, Wei Zheng, Xiao-Ou Shu. A prospective study of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes and lung cancer risk [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5310. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5310