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. 1999 Jan 21;340(3):169-76.
doi: 10.1056/NEJM199901213400301.

Dietary fiber and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women

C S Fuchs  1 , E L Giovannucci, G A Colditz, D J Hunter, M J Stampfer, B Rosner, F E Speizer, W C Willett
Affiliations
Free article

Dietary fiber and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women

C S Fuchs et al. N Engl J Med. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: A high intake of dietary fiber has been thought to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 88,757 women, who were 34 to 59 years old and had no history of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or familial polyposis, who completed a dietary questionnaire in 1980. During a 16-year follow-up period, 787 cases of colorectal cancer were documented. In addition, 1012 patients with adenomas of the distal colon and rectum were found among 27,530 participants who underwent endoscopy during the follow-up period.

Results: After adjustment for age, established risk factors, and total energy intake, we found no association between the intake of dietary fiber and the risk of colorectal cancer; the relative risk for the highest as compared with the lowest quintile group with respect to fiber intake was 0.95 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.73 to 1.25). No protective effect of dietary fiber was observed when we omitted, adjustment for total energy intake, when events during the first six years of follow-up were excluded, or when we excluded women who altered their fiber intake during the follow-up period. No significant association between fiber intake and the risk of colorectal adenoma was found.

Conclusions: Our data do not support the existence of an important protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal cancer or adenoma.

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Comment in

  • Fiber and colorectal cancer--where to now?
    Potter JD. Potter JD. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jan 21;340(3):223-4. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199901213400309. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 9895403 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Ravin ND. Ravin ND. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1924-5; author reply 1926. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199906173402416. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375311 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Cummings JH, Southgate DA. Cummings JH, et al. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1925; author reply 1926. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375312 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Heaton KW, Lewis SJ. Heaton KW, et al. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1925; author reply 1926. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375313 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Mohandas KM. Mohandas KM. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1925; author reply 1926. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375314 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Madar Z, Stark A. Madar Z, et al. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1925-6; author reply 1926. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375315 No abstract available.
  • Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer.
    Camire ME. Camire ME. N Engl J Med. 1999 Jun 17;340(24):1926. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199906173402417. N Engl J Med. 1999. PMID: 10375316 No abstract available.

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