Epidemiological investigation into an outbreak of food poisoning in 17 patients caused by Salmonella enteritidis phage-type 4 demonstrated a highly significant association with consumption of custard, retailed in custard slices and trifles from a bakery on one day. The bakery had changed their recipe for custard 2 weeks earlier to include fresh shell eggs and had not followed earlier national advice on cooking eggs for human consumption. The case-control study supports earlier work associating Salmonella enteritidis phage-type 4 infection with consumption of uncooked or lightly cooked shell eggs.

Purpose: Modifiable risk factors, including nutrition, are of particular interest in cancer research. There are limited studies establishing associations between dietary patterns and breast cancer risk. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the nutritional practices and perceptions of nutrition and cancer among breast cancer patients in northern Tanzania. Methods: Participants with confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer were identified in an outpatient setting and included in a larger qualitative study regarding patient breast cancer experiences and reasons for advanced stage at time of diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by trained interviewers and transcribed verbatim, then translated from Swahili to English. Thematic coding using a grounded theory approach was done by two independent researchers. Results: Twenty patients (10 rural and 10 urban) participated in the interviews. The average age was 56; 11 (55%) completed primary education, 10 (50%) were unemployed, and 5 (25%) were married. Fourteen (70%) of the patients had stage 4 breast cancer, 3 (15%) had stage 3, and 3 (15%) had stage 2. Food access varied with 6 (30%) patients identifying as farmers or growing up on coffee plantations. Within this group, two-thirds mentioned pesticide use. Cancer causes perceived by patients included animal products (n = 5, 25%), cooking oil and fried food (n = 5, 25%), toxins or chemicals in food (n = 6, 30%), alcohol use (n = 5, 25%), smoking (n = 2, 10%), and being overweight/obese (n = 1, 5%). After receiving the cancer diagnosis, 55% (n = 11) modified their diet: decreased or ceased alcohol intake (n = 4, 20%), stopped consuming soda (n = 2, 10%), prepared food by boiling instead of frying (n = 2, 10%), and increased vegetable intake (n = 3, 15%). Conclusions: Many participants perceived cancer to be caused by dietary factors with some correctly identifying risk factors including smoking, alcohol use, and being overweight/obese. These beliefs were impactful enough to lead many to change their dietary habits after cancer diagnosis. Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of dietary habits on cancer outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and provide educational interventions to promote healthier lifestyles in patients. Citation Format: Garrett Barnes, Sindhu Dwarampudi, Elizabeth Msoka-Bright, Lily Gutnik. The Perceived Relationship Between Nutrition and Cancer Among Breast Cancer Patients in Northern Tanzania [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; Closing the Research-to-Implementation Gap; 2023 Apr 4-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 83.

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Objectives Lycopene, a potent antioxidant, is not produced endogenously, but watermelon is a rich food source of lycopene. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether watermelon juice is an effective delivery vehicle for lycopene and assess inter-individual differences of circulating lycopene after watermelon juice consumption. Methods A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial was conducted with 16 postmenopausal women ages 54–67 years. Participants initiated a low-lycopene diet during a one-week run-in period and adhered to this diet throughout the project. For each intervention arm, participants were randomized to consume either a placebo beverage or two 360 mL servings of pasteurized 100% watermelon juice containing 14.4 mg of lycopene daily for four weeks. Following a two-week washout period, participants received the opposite beverage for an additional four weeks. Before and after both intervention arms, fasting blood samples were collected to measure serum lycopene. Results Watermelon juice supplementation resulted in an average increase in serum lycopene of 7.30 ± 7.55 µmol/L (p < 0.005) with striking inter-individual differences ranging from 0.08 to 26.03 µmol/L. Interestingly, change score analysis revealed significant differences in lycopene response depending on whether participants received the juice or the placebo beverage first (p = 0.001). Conclusions While a modest increase in circulating lycopene levels were observed, noteworthy individual differences in lycopene responses reveal the complex nature of lycopene's metabolism and bioavailability in the body. Additional research is imperative to identify the mechanisms underlying these differences in order to fully benefit from lycopene's antioxidant potential. Funding Sources American Heart Association (#16MCPRP27260233).