Prebiotics and the Risk of Upper Digestive Tract and Stomach Cancers: The PrebiotiCa Study.

Federica Turati, Federica Concina, Paola Bertuccio, Federica Fiori, Maria Parpinel, Werner Garavello, Anna Crispo, Massimo Libra, Eva Negri, Diego Serraino, Carlo La Vecchia

Journal: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2023;123(12):1772-1780

PMID: 37468063

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Abstract

BACKGROUND

Fiber intake may lower digestive tract cancer risk, possibly by modulating the composition of gut microbiota. However, no data are available about the role of specific fiber fractions with prebiotic activity (e.g., inulin-type fructans (ITFs), fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs) and galactooligosaccharides (GOSs)) on the risk lower digestive tract cancers.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to assess the association between prebiotic intake and the risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract and stomach.

DESIGN

Within the PrebiotiCa study, data were derived from a network of Italian case-control studies conducted between 1992 and 2009. Participants' usual diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. ITFs, and selected FOSs (nystose, kestose, and 1F-β-fructofuranosylnystose) and GOSs (raffinose and stachyose) were quantified in several food products via laboratory analyses. Participants' prebiotic intake was calculated by multiplying food frequency questionnaire intake by the prebiotic content of each food item.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Cases were patients admitted to major hospitals with incident histologically confirmed cancers; there were 946 cases of cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx, 198 of the nasopharynx, 304 of the esophagus, 230 of the stomach. More than 4,000 patients admitted to the same hospitals for acute nonneoplastic and not diet-related conditions were selected as control subjects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The outcomes were oral and pharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, esophageal, and stomach cancers.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

The odds ratios and corresponding 95% CIs of the various cancers were derived using logistic regression models adjusted for major confounders and energy intake.

RESULTS

No association was observed between intake of prebiotics and risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, nasopharynx, and esophagus. High raffinose intake reduced stomach cancer risk (odds ratio for the third vs the first tertile 0.6, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9); no other prebiotic was associated with stomach cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study does not support a major role of prebiotic fibers on selected upper digestive tract cancers. The association between high raffinose intake and reduced stomach cancer risk needs further investigation.

Address: Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry, and Epidemiology "G.A. Maccacaro," Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].; Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo," Trieste, Italy.; Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry, and Epidemiology "G.A. Maccacaro," Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.; Department of Medicine-DAME, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.; School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italia.; Epidemiology Unit, National Cancer Institute "Pascale Foundation" IRCCS, Naples, Italy.; Laboratory of Translational Oncology & Functional Genomics, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.; Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, CRO National Cancer Institute, IRCCS, Aviano, Italy.; Branch of Medical Statistics, Biometry, and Epidemiology "G.A. Maccacaro," Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.008

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Stomach Neoplasms, Risk Factors, Raffinose, Diet, Prebiotics