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Research: ZU and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 225
Abstract
ZU and COLLEAGUES, (1) Department of Nutrition (KZ, MJS, EG), Department of Epidemiology (LM, MJS, EG), and Department of Biostatistics (BAR), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (LM, BAR, MJS, EG); Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (SKC); Department of Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (ML) studied the associations between dietary lycopene intake and prostate cancer with special attention to the role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening.
Background
The role of lycopene in prostate cancer prevention remains controversial. We examined the associations between dietary lycopene intake and prostate cancer, paying particular attention to the influence of prostate-specific antigen screening, and evaluated tissue biomarkers in prostate cancers in relation to lycopene intake.
Methodology
Among 49898 male health professionals, the authors obtained dietary information through questionnaires and ascertained total and lethal prostate cancer cases from 1986 through January 31, 2010. Cox regression was used to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry were used to assess tumour biomarker expression in a subset of men. Two-sided χ(2) tests were used to calculate the P values.
Results
Higher lycopene intake was inversely associated with total prostate cancer and more strongly with lethal prostate cancer (top vs bottom quintile: HR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.94; P(trend) = .04). In a restricted population of screened participants, the inverse associations became markedly stronger (for lethal prostate cancer: HR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.75; P trend = .009). Comparing different measures of dietary lycopene, early intake, but not recent intake, was inversely associated with prostate cancer. Higher lycopene intake was associated with biomarkers in the cancer indicative of less angiogenic potential.
Conclusion
Dietary intake of lycopene was associated with reduced risk of lethal prostate cancer and with a lesser degree of angiogenesis in the tumour. Because angiogenesis is a strong progression factor, an endpoint of lethal prostate cancer may be more relevant than an endpoint of indolent prostate cancer for lycopene in the era of highly prevalent prostate-specific antigen screening.
References
Zu K(1), Mucci L, Rosner BA, Clinton SK, Loda M, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E. Dietary lycopene, angiogenesis, and prostate cancer: a prospective study in the prostate-specific antigen era. J Natl Cancer Inst. 106(2):djt430. Feb 2014. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djt430. Epub Jan 24 2014.
Comment
The above findings that dietary intake of lycopene is associated with a reduced risk of lethal prostate cancer will hopefully lead to the development of lycopene-related treatments in men.
