AACR: Diet, Physical Activity Affect Lung Cancer Risk

Adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture food pyramid serving guidelines, physical activity may reduce the risk

FRIDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In never, former and current smokers, a healthy diet and physical activity may help reduce the risk of lung cancer, according to research presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research's Sixth International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research in Philadelphia.

Michele R. Forman, Ph.D., of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues collected data on diet and physical activity from lung cancer patients and matched controls.

The researchers found that the odds ratio for lung cancer was 2.09 in never smokers but was 2.15 in those who ate three or fewer servings of green salad per week compared to those who ate four or more servings. The investigators found a similar pattern in former smokers. They also found that the odds ratio for lung cancer was 2.73 in current smokers who ate three or fewer servings compared to those who ate four or more servings. For never smokers and current smokers who worked once or twice a week in a garden, the risk of lung cancer was reduced by 40 to 46 percent and by 33 to 45 percent, respectively, compared to their counterparts who did not report gardening.

"This is the first lung cancer risk prediction model that examines both diet and physical activity using the U.S. Department of Agriculture pyramid serving guidelines, and therefore provides easily applicable public health modalities for intervention strategies," the authors conclude.

Abstract #B143

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