Dietary Intake of Vegetables, Fruits, and Meats/Beans as Potential Risk Factors of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Texas Case-Control Study

Abstract

Diet has been identified as a risk factor for some cancers, but its role in adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is unclear. This study was conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate associations between consumption of vegetables, fruits, and meats with AML risk among Texas residents. All participants, 323 adult de novo AML cases and 380 frequency-matched controls, completed demographic and food frequency questionnaires. Overall, AML risk was significantly decreased among those who consumed the most dark green vegetables, seafood, and nuts/seeds; and it was significantly increased among greatest consumers of red meat. Among men, AML risk was lowest among those whose consumption was in the highest quartile for fruits [odds ratio (OR) = 0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.10-0.69], poultry (OR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.10-0.78), and seafood (OR = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.16-0.96) compared to those in the lowest. Among women, risk was lowest among those whose consumption was in the highest quartile of dark-green vegetables (OR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.12-.68), orange vegetables (OR = 0.40, 95%CI = 0.17-.96) and nuts/beans (OR = 0.26, 95%CI = 0.11-0.60). Based on these findings, interventions can be developed to modify intake of specific dietary components to reduce cancer risk.

Diet and risk of adult leukemia: a multicenter case–control study in China

“…There was little evidence that fruits intake was associated with the incidence of leukemia, which has been demonstrated in previous studies [8,[12][13][14][15][16]. Likewise, in agreement of our findings, previous studies found no significant association with poultry intake [9,12,16,17].…”

“…In the present study, we found a reduced risk of adult leukemia with vegetables consumption, where the inverse association at least existed in the most common subtype of AML. Our results relating higher vegetables intake to [6] and USA [12], and a cohort study conducted in American women aged 55-69 years [13]. Moreover, we found that a series of nutrients, predominantly from vegetables, were associated with lower risks of leukemia.…”

“…Few studies have considered the association between vegetable consumption and adult leukemia risk [6,8,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. In the present study, we found a reduced risk of adult leukemia with vegetables consumption, where the inverse association at least existed in the most common subtype of AML.…”

“…Inconsistent results for red meat and fish intake on leukemia risk have been reported previously. The increased risk of leukemia due to red meat intake has been observed in case-control studies [10,12]; however, the association has [13,16,18]. A beneficial effect of fish or seafood consumption has been suggested in two case-control studies [7,12], again not in prospective studies [13,16,17].…”

“…To date, previous epidemiological studies, mostly from North America and Europe, have produced inconsistent results on the relationship between diet and adult leukemia risk [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Western-style diet is regarded as high in animal products such as red meat and poor in vegetables; yet traditional diets among Asian populations as well as Mediterranean diets consist largely of foods of plant origin [19].…”