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Objective: To assess current beverage consumption patterns and anticipated reaction to an added 20 % tax on these products.Design: A random-digit dialled telephone interview lasting 20 min was administered to assess demographics, beverage consumption behaviours and intentions regarding consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in the event of an additional tax on these beverages.Setting: Respondents were recruited throughout the USA.Subjects: The study included 592 adults.Results: Sixty-nine per cent of respondents reported consuming at least one pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverage in the past week; those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages averaged seven pre-packaged beverages per week. Ninety-one per cent knew that frequent consumption of soft drinks increases risk of obesity. Thirty-six per cent supported a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages with greatest support among those aged 18-24 years, those with BMI < 30 kg/m2 and those with higher levels of education (P < 0·05). Over one-third of respondents said that they would cut back on their sweetened beverage consumption in the event of an added 20 % tax on these beverages.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an added tax on these beverages could influence some to cut down on their consumption, reducing their risk of obesity and related illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of epidemiological studies have suggested that diet may affect the etiology of prostate cancer, but few have investigated the impact of phytochemical intakes on this cancer. We conducted a case-control study of diet and prostate cancer in western New York involving 433 men with primary, histologically confirmed prostate cancer and 538 population-based controls, frequency matched to cases on age and county of residence. Diet was assessed with a detailed food-frequency questionnaire. We calculated daily intakes of nutrients and the phytochemicals beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, total phytosterols, total lignan precursors, quercetin, and kaempferol based on published food composition data. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) describing the association of prostate cancer risk with selected nutrients, phytochemicals, and food groups were estimated with unconditional logistic regression. Compared with men in the lowest quartile of intake, reduced risks were observed for men in the highest quartile of intake of vitamin C (OR = 0.49; 95% CI = 0.33-0.74), beta-carotene (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.36-0.79), alpha-carotene (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.47-0.97), lutein (OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.37-0.81), lycopene (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.42-0.92), total lignan precursors (OR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.47-0.94), quercetin (OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.44-0.92), and total vegetables (OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.36-0.79), but weak increased risks were observed for snacks and sweets (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.95-2.23). Estimates associated with nutrients and phytochemicals were attenuated after adjustment for total vegetable intake. Nevertheless, our results support the hypothesis that a phytochemical-rich, plant-based diet is of importance in reducing risks of hormone-related neoplasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cigarette smoking is a clear risk factor for lung cancer, the other determinants of lung cancer risk among smokers are less clear. Tea and coffee contain catechins and flavonoids, which have been shown to exhibit anticarcinogenic properties. Conversely, caffeine may elevate cancer risk through a variety of mechanisms. The current study investigated the effects of regular consumption of black tea and coffee on lung cancer risk among 993 current and former smokers with primary incident lung cancer and 986 age-, sex-, and smoking-matched hospital controls with non-neoplastic conditions. Results indicated that lung cancer risk was not different for those with the highest black tea consumption (>or=2 cups/day) compared with nondrinkers of tea [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.66-1.24]. However, elevated lung cancer risk was observed for participants who consumed 2-3 cups of regular coffee daily (aOR=1.34; 95% CI=0.99-1.82) or >or=4 cups of regular coffee daily (aOR=1.51, 95% CI=1.11-2.05). In contrast, decaffeinated coffee drinking was associated with decreased lung cancer risk for both participants who consumed or=2 cups/day (aOR=0.64; 95% CI=0.51-0.80). These results suggest that any chemoprotective effects of phytochemicals in coffee and tea may be overshadowed by the elevated risk associated with caffeine in these beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The etiology of testicular cancer (TC) remains largely unknown. Few studies have investigated the role diet may play in the etiology of TC. We report on a hospital-based case-control study of TC and selected nutrients and food groups. Cases included 117 patients with primary, incident TC treated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1998. A total of 334 hospital controls were frequency matched on age to cases. Cases were categorized by histology (seminoma, nonseminoma, and mixed germ cell TC), and multinomial logistic regression and unconditional logistic regression were used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing each histological type with the controls. For nonseminoma and mixed germ cell TC, vitamin E intake was suggestive of reduced risk (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.15-1.76 and OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.01-1.31, respectively); for seminoma, it was suggestive of an increased risk (OR = 2.94, 95% CI = 0.99-8.78). Fat intakes were not associated with nonseminoma or mixed germ cell risk; high saturated, animal, and total fat intakes were suggestive of an increase in risk of seminoma. Overall, diet was not associated with TC. However, risk seemed to differ by histology, suggesting that seminoma, nonseminoma, and mixed germ cell TC may have different etiologies. We suggest that future investigations should continue to stratify cases by histology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a hospital-based case-control study, we examined dietary intakes of selected nutrients and food groups and ovarian cancer risk among 496 women with primary, histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer and 1,425 women with nonneoplastic diagnoses, ages 20-87 years, admitted to Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1998. Data on diet and other relevant risk factors in the few years before admission were collected with a self-administered questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age, education, region of residence, regularity of menstruation, family history of ovarian cancer, parity, age at menarche, oral contraceptive use, and energy intake. Women in the highest vs. the lowest quartile of total energy had a weak increase in risk (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.90-1.73). Significantly reduced risks were associated with higher intakes of dietary fiber (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.87), vitamin A (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.45-0.98), carotenoid (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.43-0.93), vitamin E (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.38-0.88), beta-carotene (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46-0.98), and total fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.42-0.92). Our findings suggest that a diet high in plant foods may be important in reducing risk of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replication of results is an important issue in studies of diet and disease, possibly dependent on data collection method. We compared assessments from the Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ), the Harvard Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (HFFQ), and the New York State Cohort Food Frequency Questionnaire (CFFQ) for estimates of daily intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, dietary fiber, cholesterol, vitamins A, C, and E, and carotenoids. Fifty-nine men and 50 women aged 35-73 years completed the HHHQ and HFFQ as interviews and the 44-food CFFQ as a self-administered mailed questionnaire. Comparability was assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Quantitation of nutrient intake differed by nutrient, questionnaire, and nutrient calculation method. Ranking on energy and macronutrient intake for the HHHQ and HFFQ ranged from 0.62 to 0.80; ranking for micronutrient intake ranged from 0.56 to 0.80. For the CFFQ with the HHHQ or HFFQ, correlations ranged between 0.29 and 0.62. The CFFQ performs comparably to the HHHQ and HFFQ for some, but not all, nutrients; our results suggest that the HHHQ and HFFQ can be used interchangeably with reasonable confidence in studies of diet and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As one of the 10 most common cancers in the United States, bladder cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat. Most bladder cancers (70%-80%) are diagnosed at early stages as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), which can be removed. However, 50% to 80% of NMIBC recurs within 5 years, and 15% to 30% progresses with poor survival. Besides life-long surveillance, current treatment is limited. Preclinical and epidemiologic evidence suggest that dietary isothiocyanates (ITCs) in cruciferous vegetables (Cruciferae) could be a noninvasive and cost-effective strategy to improve NMIBC prognosis. Yet, a Cruciferae intervention that increases ITC exposure in NMIBC survivors has not been tested. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to test the effect of a Cruciferae intervention on urinary ITC levels and Cruciferae intake in NMIBC survivors., Patients and Methods: We conducted a 2-arm, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a Cruciferae intervention against a general fruit and vegetable intervention (control) for NMIBC survivors. Both 6-month interventions consisted of mailed educational materials, a live call with staff to review the materials, and 11 interactive voice response calls. We anticipated that our Cruciferae intervention (Power to Redefine Your Health [POW-R Health]) would increase Cruciferae intake to 1 cup/day (secondary outcome), thus raising urinary ITC levels to 10 µM (primary outcome) from baseline to 6-month follow-up., Results: We randomized 49 patients with NMIBC diagnosed in 2018 through 2019, and retained 42 patients at 6-month follow-up. The treatment group reported 0.94 cups (95% CI, 0.24-1.65; P=.010) higher Cruciferae intake (treatment, 1.37 ± 1.19 cups vs control, 0.56 ± 0.72 cups) and increased urinary ITC levels by 11.1 μmol/g creatinine (treatment, 26.2 ± 20.9 vs control, 7.8 ± 11.5; P=.027) at 6-month follow-up compared with the control group., Conclusions: Our dietary intervention is the first to significantly increase Cruciferae intake and urinary ITC levels in NMIBC survivors, demonstrating an increase in ITC to levels that significantly decrease risk of disease-specific survival. A future randomized controlled trial testing POW-R Health on bladder cancer recurrence and progression is warranted. If proven to improve bladder cancer outcomes, our intervention has the potential to be a noninvasive, cost-effective, easily accessible way for NBMIC survivors to improve their bladder cancer prognosis.

Abstract: Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a precursor of multiple myeloma, is associated with shorter lifespan and cardiac, renal, neurologic, and immune-related comorbidities. There is little known about modifiable risk factors for this condition. To determine whether the risk of MGUS is associated with dietary factors in a racially diverse population, we conducted a US population-based case-control study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-2004), which included 373 individuals with MGUS and 1406 matched controls. Diet was characterized by one 24-hour dietary recall, with gram intake of individual foods and beverages aggregated into groups. Unconditional multivariable logistic regressions were used to model associations between intake of several food groups and MGUS, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported for the highest relative to the lowest quantile of intake. Daily gram intake of several food and beverage groups were significantly associated with MGUS. MGUS was inversely associated with whole-grain bread, oats, and rice (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.48-1.00; P < .05), fruits (excluding juice) and vegetables (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.93; P = .02), vegetables (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-0.99; P < .05), tomatoes (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51-1.00; P < .05), and cruciferous vegetables (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.74; P < .01). Direct associations were observed for sugar-sweetened beverages (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.00-1.78; P < .05), sugar-sweetened soft drinks (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.01-1.96; P = .04), and artificially sweetened soft drinks (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.04-2.33; P = .03). Our study shows that diet is potentially a modifiable risk factor for MGUS., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Background: Endometrial cancer risk stratification may help target interventions, screening, or prophylactic hysterectomy to mitigate the rising burden of this cancer. However, existing prediction models have been developed in select cohorts and have not considered genetic factors., Methods: We developed endometrial cancer risk prediction models using data on postmenopausal White women aged 45-85 years from 19 case-control studies in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2). Relative risk estimates for predictors were combined with age-specific endometrial cancer incidence rates and estimates for the underlying risk factor distribution. We externally validated the models in 3 cohorts: Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial., Results: Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the epidemiologic model ranged from 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62 to 0.67) to 0.69 (95% CI = 0.66 to 0.72). Improvements in discrimination from the addition of genetic factors were modest (no change in area under the receiver operating characteristic curves in NHS; PLCO = 0.64 to 0.66). The epidemiologic model was well calibrated in NHS II (overall expected-to-observed ratio [E/O] = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.22) and PLCO (overall E/O = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.95 to 1.13) but poorly calibrated in NHS (overall E/O = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.51 to 0.59)., Conclusions: Using data from the largest, most heterogeneous study population to date (to our knowledge), prediction models based on epidemiologic factors alone successfully identified women at high risk of endometrial cancer. Genetic factors offered limited improvements in discrimination. Further work is needed to refine this tool for clinical or public health practice and expand these models to multiethnic populations., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is a highly fatal malignancy with few modifiable risk and prognostic factors. This study investigates the association between cola, diet cola, and non-cola soft drink consumption and PanCa risk and mortality. A retrospective study was conducted using data from the Patient Epidemiology Data System (1982-1998) at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY, USA), including 213 PanCa patients and 852 cancer-free controls. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, including a 46-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of cola, diet cola, and non-cola soft drink consumption and PanCa risk. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs of cola, diet cola, and non-cola soft drink consumption and PanCa mortality. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status. We observed significant 55% increased odds of PanCa among patients consuming ≥1 regular cola per day (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.01-2.39). We also observed non-significant 38% increased hazard of mortality among patients consuming ≥1 regular cola per day (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 0.91-2.07). We conclude that regular cola consumption is a modifiable lifestyle that may be associated with PanCa risk and mortality following diagnosis.

Background: Epidemiologic studies suggest that coffee consumption may be inversely associated with risk of endometrial cancer (EC), the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries. Furthermore, coffee consumption may lower circulating concentrations of estrogen and insulin, hormones implicated in endometrial carcinogenesis. Antioxidants and other chemopreventive compounds in coffee may have anticarcinogenic effects. Based on available meta-analyses, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) concluded that consumption of coffee probably protects against EC., Objectives: Our main aim was to examine the association between coffee consumption and EC risk by combining individual-level data in a pooled analysis. We also sought to evaluate potential effect modification by other risk factors for EC., Methods: We combined individual-level data from 19 epidemiologic studies (6 cohort, 13 case-control) of 12,159 EC cases and 27,479 controls from the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2). Logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and their corresponding 95% CIs. All models were adjusted for potential confounders including age, race, BMI, smoking status, diabetes status, study design, and study site., Results: Coffee drinkers had a lower risk of EC than non-coffee drinkers (multiadjusted OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.95). There was a dose-response relation between higher coffee consumption and lower risk of EC: compared with non-coffee drinkers, the adjusted pooled ORs for those who drank 1, 2-3, and >4 cups/d were 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.00), 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.95), and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.87), respectively (P-trend < 0.001). The inverse association between coffee consumption and EC risk was stronger in participants with BMI > 25 kg/m 2 ., Conclusions: The results of the largest analysis to date pooling individual-level data further support the potentially beneficial health effects of coffee consumption in relation to EC, especially among females with higher BMI., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Nutrition.)

Scope: Dietary isothiocyanates (ITCs) from cruciferous vegetables have shown potent anti-breast cancer activities in preclinical models, but their anticancer effects in vivo in breast cancer patients remain elusive. A proof-of-principle, presurgical window of opportunity trial is conducted to assess the anticancer effects of dietary ITCs in breast cancer patients., Methods and Results: Thirty postmenopausal breast cancer patients are randomly assigned to receive ITC-rich broccoli sprout extract (BSE) (200 µmol ITC per day) or a placebo for 2 weeks. Expression of biomarkers related to ITCs functions are measured in breast cancer tissue specimens at pre- and post-interventions using immunohistochemistry staining. First morning urine samples are collected at both timepoints for proteomic analysis. Overall, the study shows high compliance (100%) and low toxicity (no grade 4 adverse event). Trends of increase in cleaved caspase 3 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and trends of decrease in Ki-67 and nuclear to cytoplasm ratio of estrogen receptor (ER)-α are observed in the BSE arm only, consistent with the significantly altered signaling pathways identified in urinary proteomic analysis., Conclusions: Anticancer activities of ITCs are observed in breast cancer patients, supporting the potential beneficial roles of ITC-containing cruciferous vegetables in breast cancer prognosis., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Bladder cancer is one of the top 10 most common cancers in the United States. Most bladder cancers (70%-80%) are diagnosed at early stages as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), which can be removed surgically. However, 50% to 80% of NMIBC cases recur within 5 years, and 15% to 30% progress with poor survival. Current treatments are limited and expensive. A wealth of preclinical and epidemiological evidence suggests that dietary isothiocyanates in cruciferous vegetables (Cruciferae) could be a novel, noninvasive, and cost-effective strategy to control NMIBC recurrence and progression., Objective: The aim of this study is to develop a scalable dietary intervention that increases isothiocyanate exposure through Cruciferae intake in NMIBC survivors., Methods: We worked with a community advisory board (N=8) to identify relevant factors, evidence-based behavior change techniques, and behavioral theory constructs used to increase Cruciferae intake in NMIBC survivors; use the PEN-3 Model focused on incorporating cultural factors salient to the group's shared experiences to review the intervention components (eg, the saliency of behavioral messages); administer the revised intervention to community partners for their feedback; and refine the intervention., Results: We developed a multicomponent intervention for NMIBC survivors consisting of a magazine, tracking book, live telephone call script, and interactive voice messages. Entitled POW-R Health: Power to Redefine Your Health, the intervention incorporated findings from our adaptation process to ensure saliency to NMIBC survivors., Conclusions: This is the first evidence-based, theoretically grounded dietary intervention developed to reduce bladder cancer recurrence in NMIBC survivors using a systematic process for community adaptation. This study provides a model for others who aim to develop behavioral, community-relevant interventions for cancer prevention and control with the overall goal of wide-scale implementation and dissemination., (©Karen H Kim Yeary, Nikia Clark, Frances Saad-Harfouche, Deborah Erwin, Margaret Gates Kuliszewski, Qiang Li, Susan E McCann, Han Yu, Catherine Lincourt, Jamie Zoellner, Li Tang. Originally published in JMIR Cancer (https://cancer.jmir.org), 15.02.2022.)

Recruitment of minority participants to clinical trials, especially studies without therapeutic intent, has been historically challenging. This study describes barriers to and successes of recruitment and retention strategies to dietary studies. A flaxseed study was conducted in healthy, postmenopausal women of African ancestry (AA) and European ancestry (EA) to assess associations between gut microbial community composition and host metabolism (NCT01698294). To ensure equitable participation by AA and EA women, multiple forms of recruitment were utilized, including advertisements, posters, e-mail, word of mouth, and community outreach. Successful recruitment and retention of AA women to the intervention depended upon the specific methods used. AA women compared with EA women were more likely to respond to direct recruitment and community-based methods, rather than general advertisements. However, once women expressed interest, similar rates of consent were observed for AA and EA women (AA and EA: 51.6% vs. 55.7%, respectively; P  > 0.05), supporting the willingness of minority populations to participate in clinical research. Retention, however, was lower among AA compared with EA women (AA and EA: 57.6% vs. 80.9%, respectively; P  < 0.01), which may be related to multiple factors, including health reasons, intolerance to flaxseed, noncompliance with study requirements, time constraints, and nonspecified personal reasons. This study confirms the utility of direct community-based strategies for recruitment of diverse populations into nontherapeutic dietary intervention studies. The methods used successfully identified eligible women who expressed willingness to consent to the trial and were able to achieve >70% of recruitment goals for AA women. Future efforts are warranted to improve retention to complex studies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01698294., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: Studies in women of European descent showed an inverse association of dietary vitamin A (retinol and carotenoids) intake with breast cancer risks, mainly in premenopausal women., Objectives: We examined whether higher compared with lower levels of dietary vitamin A are associated with reduced breast cancer risks among Black women by estrogen receptor (ER) and menopausal statuses., Methods: In this pooled analysis, data were from 3564 breast cancer cases and 11,843 controls (mean ages = 56.4 and 56.3 years, respectively) in the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium. Dietary intake was assessed by FFQs. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to estimate ORs and 95% CIs for study-specific quintiles of total vitamin A equivalents and individual carotenoids, and a pooled OR was estimated by a random-effect model., Results: We observed an inverse association of total vitamin A equivalents with ER-positive breast cancer (quintiles 5 compared with 1: pooled OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.67-1.00; P-trend = 0.045). The association was seen among premenopausal women (pooled OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.43-0.83; P-trend = 0.004), but not among postmenopausal women (pooled OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.77-1.28; P-trend = 0.78). Additionally, there were inverse associations of dietary β-carotene (quintiles 5 compared with 1: pooled OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51-0.95; P-trend = 0.08) and lutein (pooled OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.45-0.87; P-trend = 0.020) with ER-positive breast cancer among premenopausal women. There was no evidence for an association of total vitamin A equivalents or individual carotenoids with ER-negative breast cancer, regardless of menopausal status., Conclusions: Our findings on dietary vitamin A and breast cancer risks in Black women are consistent with observations in women of European descent and advance the literature showing an inverse association for ER-positive disease., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

When wine grapes are exposed to smoke, there is a risk that the resulting wines may possess smoky, ashy, or burnt aromas, a wine flaw known as smoke taint. Smoke taint occurs when the volatile phenols (VPs) largely responsible for the aroma of smoke are transformed in grape into a range of glycosides that are imperceptible by smell. The majority of VP-glycosides described to date are disaccharides possessing a reducing β-d-glucopyranosyl moiety. Here, a two-part experiment was performed to (1) assess the stability of 11 synthesized VP-glycosides towards general acid-catalyzed hydrolysis during aging, and (2) to examine whether yeast strains differed in their capacity to produce free VPs both from these model glycosides as well as from grapes that had been deliberately exposed to smoke. When fortified into both model and real wine matrices at 200 ng/g, all VP-disaccharides were stable over 12 weeks, while (42-50 ng/g) increases in free 4-ethylphenol and p -cresol were detected when these were added to wine as their monoglucosides. Guaiacol and phenol were the most abundantly produced VPs during fermentation, whether originating from natural VP-precursors in smoked-exposed Pinot Noir must, or due to fortification with synthetic VP-glycosides. Significant yeast strain-specific differences in glycolytic activities were observed for phenyl-β-d-glycopyranoside, with two strains (RC212 and BM45) being unable to hydrolyze this model VP, albeit both were active on the guaiacyl analogue. Thus, differences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucosidase activity appear to be influenced by the VP moiety.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a deadly malignancy with limited screening and few modifiable risk factors. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between a modifiable lifestyle behavior, cruciferous vegetable consumption, and pancreatic cancer, both overall and by subgroups based on non-modifiable, established risk factors., Methods: We conducted a hospital-based, case-control study utilizing data from the Patient Epidemiology Data System (1982-1998) at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY) which included 183 pancreatic cancer patients and 732 cancer-free controls. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire including a 52-item food frequency questionnaire and other epidemiologic data. Multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), sex, smoking status, total meat, and family history of pancreatic cancer, was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between cruciferous vegetable consumption and pancreatic cancer. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex, smoking status, and BMI., Results: We observed inverse associations between cruciferous vegetable intake and pancreatic cancer, with a significant 40% lower odds of pancreatic cancer among subjects consuming >1.5 servings per week (SPW) of raw cruciferous vegetables compared to those consuming less than 0.5 SPW (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.93). Each additional SPW of total, raw, and cooked cruciferous vegetables was associated with a significant 7-15% lower odds of pancreatic cancer, with the strongest association seen in raw cruciferous vegetables (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.75-0.95). We observed inverse associations between raw cruciferous vegetable intake and pancreatic cancer among people who were overweight, former smokers, and males, ranging from 50% to 59% lower odds., Conclusion: Consuming cruciferous vegetables, especially raw cruciferous vegetables, is a modifiable lifestyle behavior which may be inversely associated with pancreatic cancer, including among subgroups with other non- or not easily modifiable risk factors for this deadly malignancy., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among women in the US, yet few modifiable risk factors have been established. Diets high in glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) have been linked to several cancers, but epidemiologic studies of ovarian cancer have yielded inconsistent results., Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine associations between GI or GL and ovarian cancer., Methods: We used prospective data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian cohort. GI and GL were calculated from validated FFQs. Participants were women who were aged 60 to 74 y, did not have a history of cancer, and had both ovaries. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate HRs and 95% CIs for risk of ovarian cancer associated with quartiles of GI and GL. Analyses were performed separately for those who completed the dietary questionnaire at baseline (DQX) or later in the study (DHQ)., Results: From the DQX sample set, 181 cases were identified among 24,633 women with median follow-up of 12.1 y; there were 211 cases among 42,410 women in the DHQ set, with median follow-up of 8.9 y. After adjusting for age at dietary questionnaire completion, year of randomization, year of questionnaire, study center, and oral contraceptive use, the risk of ovarian cancer decreased by 43% (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.88) among those in the highest compared with those in the lowest quartile of GL (DQX). Those in the highest compared with those in the lowest quartile of GI (DHQ), had a 38% lower risk (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.00)., Conclusions: We observed lower risk of ovarian cancer associated with higher GI and GL. Results should be interpreted with caution as they may have been influenced by limitations including lack of variability in dietary intake. Additional studies are needed to better understand what is driving these associations., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: There is growing evidence of an association between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and increased risk of mortality in various populations. However, SSB influence on mortality among patients with breast cancer is unknown., Methods: We assessed the relationship between sugar-sweetened soda and both all-cause and breast cancer mortality among women with incident, invasive breast cancer from the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer Study. Breast cancer cases were followed for a median of 18.7 years, with ascertainment of vital status via the National Death Index. Frequency of sugar-sweetened soda consumption was determined via dietary recall using a food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards, adjusting for relevant variables, were used to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: Of the 927 breast cancer cases, 386 (54.7%) had died by the end of follow-up. Compared with never/rarely sugar-sweetened soda drinkers, consumption at ≥5 times per week was associated with increased risk of both total (HR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.16-2.26; P trend < 0.01) and breast cancer mortality (HR = 1.85; 95% CI, 1.16-2.94; P trend < 0.01). Risk of mortality was similarly increased among ER-positive, but not ER-negative patients; among women with body mass index above the median, but not below the median; and among premenopausal, but not postmenopausal women for total mortality only., Conclusions: Reported higher frequency of sugar-sweetened soda intake was associated with increased risks of both total and breast cancer mortality among patients with breast cancer., Impact: These results support existing guidelines on reducing consumption of SSB, including for women with a diagnosis of breast cancer., (©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.)

A full-term pregnancy is associated with reduced endometrial cancer risk; however, whether the effect of additional pregnancies is independent of age at last pregnancy is unknown. The associations between other pregnancy-related factors and endometrial cancer risk are less clear. We pooled individual participant data from 11 cohort and 19 case-control studies participating in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2) including 16 986 women with endometrial cancer and 39 538 control women. We used one- and two-stage meta-analytic approaches to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) for the association between exposures and endometrial cancer risk. Ever having a full-term pregnancy was associated with a 41% reduction in risk of endometrial cancer compared to never having a full-term pregnancy (OR = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.63). The risk reduction appeared the greatest for the first full-term pregnancy (OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.72-0.84), with a further ~15% reduction per pregnancy up to eight pregnancies (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.14-0.28) that was independent of age at last full-term pregnancy. Incomplete pregnancy was also associated with decreased endometrial cancer risk (7%-9% reduction per pregnancy). Twin births appeared to have the same effect as singleton pregnancies. Our pooled analysis shows that, while the magnitude of the risk reduction is greater for a full-term pregnancy than an incomplete pregnancy, each additional pregnancy is associated with further reduction in endometrial cancer risk, independent of age at last full-term pregnancy. These results suggest that the very high progesterone level in the last trimester of pregnancy is not the sole explanation for the protective effect of pregnancy., (© 2020 UICC.)

Lignans are phytochemicals studied extensively as dietary factors in chronic disease etiology. Our goal was to examine associations between the gut microbiota and lignan metabolism and whether these associations differ by ethnicity. We conducted a flaxseed (FS) dietary intervention in 252 healthy, postmenopausal women of African ancestry (AA) and European ancestry (EA). Participants consumed ~10 g/d ground flaxseed for 6 weeks and provided overnight urine collections and fecal samples before and after intervention. The gut microbiota was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and differences in microbial community composition compared by ethnicity and intervention status. We observed a significant difference in the composition of the microbiota measured as beta diversity ( p < 0.05) between AA and EA at baseline that was attenuated with FS consumption. Genera that were significantly associated with ENL production (e.g., Klebsiella , Lactobacillus , Slackia , Senegalimassilia ) were unique to each group. Bacteria (e.g., Fusobacteria , Pyramidobacter and Odoribacter ) previously associated with colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease, both diet-related chronic diseases, were unique to either AA or EA and were significantly reduced in the FS intervention. This study suggests that ethnic variation in ENL metabolism may be linked to gut microbiota composition, and its impact on disease risk deserves future investigation.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the primary yeast species responsible for most fermentations in winemaking. However, other yeasts, including Saccharomyces uvarum, have occasionally been found conducting commercial fermentations around the world. S. uvarum is typically associated with white wine fermentations in cool-climate wine regions, and has been identified as the dominant yeast in fermentations from France, Hungary, northern Italy, and, recently, Canada. However, little is known about how the origin and genetic diversity of the Canadian S. uvarum population relates to strains from other parts of the world. In this study, a highly diverse S. uvarum population was found dominating uninoculated commercial fermentations of Chardonnay grapes sourced from two different vineyards. Most of the strains identified were found to be genetically distinct from S. uvarum strains isolated globally. Of the 106 strains of S. uvarum identified in this study, four played a dominant role in the fermentations, with some strains predominating in the fermentations from one vineyard over the other. Furthermore, two of these dominant strains were previously identified as dominant strains in uninoculated Chardonnay fermentations at the same winery two years earlier, suggesting the presence of a winery-resident population of indigenous S. uvarum. This research provides valuable insight into the diversity and persistence of non-commercial S. uvarum strains in North America, and a stepping stone for future work into the enological potential of an alternative Saccharomyces yeast species., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Although physical activity has been consistently associated with reduced breast cancer mortality, evidence is largely based on data collected at one occasion. We examined how pre- and postdiagnosis physical activity was associated with survival outcomes in high-risk breast cancer patients., Methods: Included were 1340 patients enrolled in the Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle and Cancer Prognosis (DELCaP) Study, a prospective study of lifestyle and prognosis ancillary to a SWOG clinical trial (S0221). Activity before diagnosis, during treatment, and at 1- and 2-year intervals after enrollment was collected. Patients were categorized according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans as meeting the minimum guidelines (yes/no) and incrementally as inactive, low active, moderately active (meeting the guidelines), or high active., Results: In joint-exposure analyses, patients meeting the guidelines before and 1 year after diagnosis experienced statistically significant reductions in hazards of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42 to 0.82) and mortality (HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.34-0.77); associations were stronger at 2-year follow-up for recurrence (HR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.31 to 0.65) and mortality (HR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.52). In time-dependent analyses, factoring in activity from all time points, we observed striking associations with mortality for low- (HR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.68), moderate- (HR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.76), and high-active patients (HR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.18 to 0.53)., Conclusions: Meeting the minimum guidelines for physical activity both before diagnosis and after treatment appears to be associated with statistically significantly reduced hazards of recurrence and mortality among breast cancer patients. When considering activity from all time points, including during treatment, lower volumes of regular activity were associated with similar overall survival advantages as meeting and exceeding the guidelines., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: Characterize physical design features of cigarette brands sold in the US according to the delivery method of menthol that may affect sensory perception among users., Methods: Twelve cigarette brands, mentholated and non-mentholated, were purchased for analyses of the physical design characteristics, quantification of nicotine and menthol, and identification of flavor additives., Results: Physical design characteristics did not differ significantly between the various cigarette brands. However, significant differences were seen in levels of menthol. Menthol levels were greatest in products that had dual delivery methods of menthol (6.7mg/cigarette; SE=0.27) followed by products mentholated in a filter capsule only (5.7mg/cigarette; SE=0.25), and those mentholated in the tobacco only (3.8mg/cigarette; SE=0.12); products that were not mentholated had the least (0.38mg/cigarette; SE=0.31). Finally, flavor additives with a mint flavor profile other than menthol were identified, such as pulegone and limonene, and differed between cigarette brands, which are likely contributing to the menthol flavor experience associated with use of these products., Conclusions: The regulation of menthol delivery method, flavorings added to the capsule, and/or menthol concentration may be beneficial for the public health as these factors are likely creating unique sensory experiences., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement All authors of this article declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Background: Phytoestrogens are plant-derived hormonally active compounds found in soy, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Although phytoestrogens have been associated with altered endogenous hormonal activity, luteal phase deficiency, and reduced endometrial decidualization, the literature reporting examinations of phytoestrogen intake and fertility presents mixed findings., Objectives: We sought to evaluate prospectively the association between dietary phytoestrogen intake (isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans) and fecundability, the per-cycle probability of conception, in 2 cohorts of women planning pregnancy., Methods: Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) and Snart Foraeldre (SF) are parallel web-based preconception cohort studies of women from North America and Denmark, respectively, who are trying to conceive. Participants complete an online baseline questionnaire on sociodemographic, lifestyle, and medical factors. We ascertained intake of individual phytoestrogens from validated FFQs. We measured fecundability using data on menstruation and pregnancy status from bimonthly follow-up questionnaires. We analyzed data from 4880 PRESTO and 2898 SF female study participants who had been attempting conception for ≤6 cycles at study entry. We used proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% CIs., Results: Phytoestrogen intake varied across cohorts, yet was associated with higher socioeconomic status and healthier behaviors in both cohorts. After adjustment for potential confounders, phytoestrogen intake was not substantially associated with fecundability in either cohort. We observed some evidence of improved fecundability with increasing isoflavone intake among women age ≥30 years in PRESTO (FR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.34, for comparison of ≥90th with <25th percentile intake) and SF (corresponding FR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.55). Lignan intake was associated with slightly increased fecundability in SF (FR for comparison of 75th to 90th with <25th percentile: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.26), but decreased fecundability in PRESTO (FR for comparison of ≥90th with <25th percentile: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.97)., Conclusions: We did not observe strong associations between phytoestrogen intake and prospectively-measured fecundability among North American or Danish pregnancy planners., (Copyright © The Author(s) 2020.)

Purpose: Despite reported widespread use of dietary supplements during cancer treatment, few empirical data with regard to their safety or efficacy exist. Because of concerns that some supplements, particularly antioxidants, could reduce the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy, we conducted a prospective study ancillary to a therapeutic trial to evaluate associations between supplement use and breast cancer outcomes., Methods: Patients with breast cancer randomly assigned to an intergroup metronomic trial of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel were queried on their use of supplements at registration and during treatment (n =1,134). Cox proportional hazards regression adjusting for clinical and lifestyle variables was used. Recurrence and survival were indexed at 6 months after enrollment using a landmark approach., Results: There were indications that use of any antioxidant supplement (vitamins A, C, and E; carotenoids; coenzyme Q10) both before and during treatment was associated with an increased hazard of recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR], 1.41; 95% CI, 0.98 to 2.04; P = .06) and, to a lesser extent, death (adjHR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.90 to 2.18; P = .14). Relationships with individual antioxidants were weaker perhaps because of small numbers. For nonantioxidants, vitamin B12 use both before and during chemotherapy was significantly associated with poorer disease-free survival (adjHR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.92; P < .01) and overall survival (adjHR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.22 to 3.40; P < .01). Use of iron during chemotherapy was significantly associated with recurrence (adjHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.67; P < .01) as was use both before and during treatment (adjHR, 1.91; 95% CI, 0.98 to 3.70; P = .06). Results were similar for overall survival. Multivitamin use was not associated with survival outcomes., Conclusion: Associations between survival outcomes and use of antioxidant and other dietary supplements both before and during chemotherapy are consistent with recommendations for caution among patients when considering the use of supplements, other than a multivitamin, during chemotherapy.

Objectives: In this study, we identified differences in cessation, nicotine dependence, and quit attempts between smokers using non-menthol cigarettes and smokers using menthol cigarettes differing in menthol delivery method (eg, menthol in the tobacco only, crushable capsules only or both). Methods: We analyzed data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, Waves 1 and 2 (W1 and W2), to determine associations of delivery method of menthol with cessation, nicotine dependence, and quit attempts among current adult cigarette smokers. Results: Nearly 40% of US smokers reported using a mentholated cigarette product with most using a product mentholated in the tobacco only. Smokers included in this analysis had a moderate to low heaviness of smoking index score. The lowest average score was among those using products mentholated in a filter capsule only (1.3, SE = .10), and the highest among those using non-mentholated products (2.4, SE = .03). About 12% of smokers quit between W1 and W2. Cessation, nicotine dependence, and quit attempts at W2 were not associated with delivery method of menthol at W1. Conclusions: Method of menthol delivery did not impact cessation, nicotine dependence, and quit attempts.

Objective: To investigate the association between regular cruciferous vegetable intake and stomach cancer. Methods: A hospital-based, case-control study was conducted at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY, which included 292 stomach cancer patients and 1168 cancer-free controls recruited between 1992 and 1998 as part of the Patient Epidemiology Data System (PEDS). Dietary and other epidemiologic and confounding variables were collected by questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were utilized to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between usual pre-diagnostic cruciferous vegetable intake and stomach cancer, with adjustment for other stomach cancer risk factors and dietary characteristics. Results: We observed strong inverse associations between stomach cancer and highest versus lowest intakes of total cruciferous vegetables (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.42-0.83), raw cruciferous vegetables (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.38-0.73), raw broccoli (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.86), raw cauliflower (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35-0.73), and Brussels sprouts (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.48-0.91). Conclusions: These data suggest that consuming raw cruciferous vegetables may be associated with a lower odds of stomach cancer, even after considering other dietary characteristics.

Background: Regular use of aspirin has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer at several sites but the data for endometrial cancer are conflicting. Evidence regarding use of other analgesics is limited., Patients and Methods: We pooled individual-level data from seven cohort and five case-control studies participating in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium including 7120 women with endometrial cancer and 16 069 controls. For overall analyses, study-specific odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression and combined using random-effects meta-analysis; for stratified analyses, we used mixed-effects logistic regression with study as a random effect., Results: At least weekly use of aspirin and non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an approximately 15% reduced risk of endometrial cancer among both overweight and obese women (OR = 0.86 [95% CI 0.76-0.98] and 0.86 [95% CI 0.76-0.97], respectively, for aspirin; 0.87 [95% CI 0.76-1.00] and 0.84 [0.74-0.96], respectively, for non-aspirin NSAIDs). There was no association among women of normal weight (body mass index < 25 kg/m2, Pheterogeneity = 0.04 for aspirin, Pheterogeneity = 0.003 for NSAIDs). Among overweight and obese women, the inverse association with aspirin was stronger for use 2-6 times/week (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96) than for daily use (0.91, 0.80-1.03), possibly because a high proportion of daily users use low-dose formulations. There was no clear association with use of acetaminophen., Conclusion: Our pooled analysis provides further evidence that use of standard-dose aspirin or other NSAIDs may reduce risk of endometrial cancer among overweight and obese women., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Metabolism and excretion of the phytoestrogen enterolactone (ENL), which has been associated with breast cancer risk, may be affected by variation in steroid hormone and xenobiotic-metabolizing genes., Methods: We conducted a randomized, crossover flaxseed intervention study in 252 healthy, postmenopausal women [137 European ancestry (EA) and 115 African ancestry (AA)] from western New York. Participants were randomly assigned to maintain usual diet or consume 10 g/day ground flaxseed for 6 weeks. After a 2-month washout period, participants crossed over to the other diet condition for an additional 6 weeks. Urinary ENL excretion was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 70 polymorphisms in 29 genes related to steroid hormone and xenobiotic metabolism were genotyped. Mixed additive genetic models were constructed to examine association of genetic variation with urinary ENL excretion at baseline and after the flaxseed intervention., Results: SNPs in several genes were nominally ( P < 0.05) associated with ENL excretion at baseline and/or after intervention: ESR1, CYP1B1, COMT, CYP3A5, ARPC1A, BCL2L11, SHBG, SLCO1B1 , and ZKSCAN5 . A greater number of SNPs were associated among AA women than among EA women, and no SNPs were associated in both races. No SNP-ENL associations were statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons., Conclusions: Variation in several genes related to steroid hormone metabolism was associated with lignan excretion at baseline and/or after flaxseed intervention among postmenopausal women., Impact: These findings may contribute to our understanding of the differences observed in urinary ENL excretion among AA and EA women and thus hormone-related breast cancer risk., (©2019 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Purpose: The association of recreational physical activity (RPA) with mortality is well established only for breast and colon cancers and few studies have evaluated relationships for exercising before and after diagnosis, across multiple disease sites. We examined the joint associations of pre- and post- diagnosis RPA with mortality in a cohort of 5,807 patients enrolled in the Data Bank and BioRepository at Roswell Park., Methods: Patients were classified into one of four activity categories (habitually active, increased activity after diagnosis, decreased activity after diagnosis, habitually inactive). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the associations of activity status with mortality., Results: In comparison to patients who were habitually inactive, habitually active patients experienced a 39% decreased hazard of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.54-0.69) and a 36% decreased hazard of cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.56-0.73). Previously inactive patients who began exercising after diagnosis experienced a 28% decreased hazard of all-cause (HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.59-0.89) and cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.57-0.91) in comparison to patients who remained inactive. Patients engaging in 3-4 sessions/week experienced the greatest survival advantages, but 1-2 sessions/week also yielded significant survival advantages in comparison to inactivity., Conclusion: Low-to-moderate frequency pre- and post-diagnosis RPA was associated with significantly decreased mortality in patients diagnosed with a variety of malignancies. These observations solidify the clinical and public health importance of the message that some regular activity is better than inactivity, which is particularly encouraging, given that cancer survivors can be overwhelmed by current daily physical activity recommendations.

Lignan intake, and its richest food source, flaxseed, have been associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Endogenous sex hormones, such as estrogens, play a role in breast cancer development, and lignans may alter these sex hormone levels. To assess the effect of flaxseed on circulating sex hormones, a randomized controlled trial was conducted among 99 postmenopausal women in Toronto, Canada. The intervention arm consumed 2 tablespoons (15 g) of ground flaxseed daily for 7 weeks; the control arm maintained usual diet. Baseline and week 7 concentrations of 14 serum sex hormones were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immunoassay, and serum enterolignans (lignan biomarker) using LC-MS/MS. Intervention effects on sex hormone levels were assessed using analysis of covariance. Serum enterolignans increased among the flaxseed arm (+516%). Women consuming flaxseed (vs. controls) had increased serum 2-hydroxyestrone [treatment effect ratio (TER) = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.18-2.00] and 2:16α-hydroxyestrone ratio (TER =1.54; 95% CI: 1.15-2.06); effects on other hormones were not statistically significant. Within the flaxseed arm, change in enterolignan level was positively correlated with changes in 2-hydroxyestrone and 2:16α-hydroxyestrone ratio, and negatively with prolactin. Findings suggest flaxseed affects certain circulating sex hormone levels with possible implications for future breast cancer prevention research.

Background: The pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is not well understood. Currently, dose reduction is the only recommendation for alleviating symptoms, often leading to premature treatment cessation. The primary aim of this analysis was to determine the association between components of diet during taxane treatment for breast cancer and change in CIPN symptoms over treatment., Methods: Women with stage II or III invasive breast cancer were enrolled into an ancillary study to the North American Breast Cancer Intergroup phase III trial (S0221) led by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). Questionnaires including a food frequency questionnaire and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity were administered to assess diet and neuropathic conditions at baseline and during chemotherapy. Ordinal regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for associations between various food groups and change in neuropathy score (< 10%, 10-30%, > 30%) (n = 900)., Results: The odds of worse neuropathy decreased by 21% for each increase in tertile of grain consumption (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.66-0.94, p = 0.009). We also observed a nominal 19% increase with higher consumption of citrus fruits (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.01-1.40, p = 0.05)., Conclusions: Distinguishing between those who experienced a moderate and a severe change in neuropathy, we found that citrus fruit and grain consumption may play a role in the severity of symptoms. Since there are no existing dietary recommendations for the management of CIPN, further research is needed to investigate whether there may be certain foods that could worsen or alleviate neuropathy symptoms associated with treatment for breast cancer., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03413761 . Registered retrospectively on 29 January 2018.

Lack of variability in dietary intake within a population makes identification of relationships between diet and disease difficult. Studies in populations with greater interindividual variation can provide important insights. The Puerto Rican diet is in transition from a traditional to a more Western-type diet, resulting in greater interindividual variability. We identified foods contributing to absolute intake and variability in the intake of macronutrients among Puerto Rican women. One hundred women, aged 30⁻79, residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, completed three, interviewer-administered, 24-h dietary recalls from which foods contributing to absolute intake and intake variability in intake of energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate and dietary fiber were determined. The overall prevalence of intake of foods was also calculated. Traditional Puerto Rican foods such as legumes, rice, and plantains were important contributors to the intake of calories and macronutrients as were foods more typical of Western diets including white bread and sweetened carbonated beverages. Identification of food sources of nutrients for this population with a diet in transition can contribute to the development of instruments to measure dietary intake and to understand the contribution of diet to the etiology of chronic disease among Puerto Rican women.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, primarily due to diagnosis at late stages. Therefore, identification of modifiable risk factors for this disease is warranted. Using the Patient Epidemiology Data System (PEDS), collected from 1981 to 1998 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, we conducted a hospital-based, case-control analysis of self-reported cruciferous vegetable intake and ovarian cancer among 675 women with primary, incident ovarian cancer, and 1275 without cancer. Cruciferous vegetable intake was queried using a 44-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with logistic regression, adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking status, parity, family history of ovarian cancer, total fruit consumption, total meat consumption, and total noncruciferous vegetable consumption. We observed a significant inverse association for women with highest vs. lowest intakes of total vegetables (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.46-0.92), cooked cauliflower (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.67-0.99), and cooked greens (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46-0.86) and an inverse, dose-dependent association between cooked cruciferous vegetables intake and ovarian cancer (for each additional ten servings per month, OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76-0.96). These findings suggest that a diet that includes cruciferous vegetables could be an important modifiable risk factor for ovarian cancer.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can interfere with daily function and quality of life, and there are no known preventive approaches. In a cohort of breast cancer patients receiving paclitaxel as part of a clinical trial (SWOG 0221), we examined the use of dietary supplements both before diagnosis and during treatment in relation to CIPN., Methods: At registration to S0221, 1225 breast cancer patients completed questionnaires regarding the use of multivitamins and supplements before and at diagnosis. A second questionnaire at six months queried use during treatment. Supplement use was evaluated in relation to CIPN, assessed via the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v. 3.0) and the self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) subscale. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed with logistic regression for the CTCAE analyses and ordinal regression for the FACT/GOG-Ntx analyses., Results: Multivitamin use before diagnosis was associated with reduced symptoms of CIPN (CTCAE-adjusted OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.87; FACT/GOG-Ntx-adjusted OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.61 to 1.00). Use during treatment was marginally inversely associated with CIPN (CTCAE-adjusted OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.49 to 1.08; FACT/GOG-Ntx-adjusted OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.99). Other supplement use, either before diagnosis or during treatment, was not statistically significantly associated with CIPN., Conclusions: Multivitamin use may be associated with reduced risk of CIPN, although individual dietary supplement use did not appreciably affect risk. Multivitamin use could be a surrogate for other related behaviors that are the actual drivers of the association with reduced CIPN. Without prospective randomized trials of vitamin supplementation, recommendations for use or changes to clinical practice are clearly not warranted.

Background: Studying cancer and other diseases poses a problem due to their protracted and multifactorial nature. Prospective studies are useful to investigate chronic disease processes since collection of lifestyle information, exposure data and co-incident health issues are collected before the condition manifests. The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is one of the first prospective studies following privately-owned dogs throughout life to investigate the incidence and risk factors for disease outcomes, especially cancer.Owners of golden retrievers in the contiguous United States volunteered their dogs in early life. Owners and veterinarians complete online questionnaires about health status and lifestyle; dogs undergo a physical examination and collection of biological samples annually. The data presented summarize the initial study visits and the corresponding questionnaires for 3044 dogs in the cohort., Results: The median age of dogs at enrollment was 14.0 months (interquartile range (IQR): 8-20 months). Approximately half of the population had undergone gonadectomy by their initial study visit. Medical conditions reported at enrollment consisted primarily of integumentary, gastrointestinal and urinary dysfunction. A large majority of the dogs have a record of having received preventive care (vaccines, parasiticides, flea and heartworm prevention) by the time of the initial study visit. Clinical pathology data were unremarkable., Conclusions: This study represents one of the first lifetime observational investigations in veterinary medicine. The population characteristics reported here indicate a healthy cohort of golden retrievers cared for by owners committed to their dogs' health. Data acquired over the study period will provide valuable information about genetic, dietary and environmental risk factors associated with disease in golden retrievers and a framework for future prospective studies in veterinary medicine.

Background: The chemopreventive activities of cruciferous vegetables were recognized in the early 1990s, followed by a growth of evidence in various cancer models, including breast cancer. To our knowledge, no studies have examined whether consumption of cruciferous vegetables has changed accordingly, and what impact, if any, on breast cancer risk may have resulted. Objective: The time trend in cruciferous vegetable intake was investigated between 1982 and 1998, and its associations with breast cancer risk were examined. Methods: In a hospital-based case-control study in 1491 patients with breast cancer and 1482 controls, loess curves were constructed to describe the relation between median consumption of cruciferous vegetables and year of admission. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated with unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, year of admission, family income, body mass index, cigarette smoking, age at menarche, parity, age at first birth, family history of breast cancer, hormone replacement therapy, and total meat intake. Results: Consumption patterns differed between cases and controls. A slow but steady increase in cruciferous vegetable intake was observed in the cases, although among controls, cruciferous vegetable consumption increased from 1982 to 1987, reached a plateau during 1988-1992, and then declined from 1993 to 1998. Accordingly, although an overall inverse association with breast cancer risk was observed for cruciferous vegetable intake (highest compared with lowest quartile-OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.86; P -trend = 0.0006), the inverse association tended to be more pronounced within more recent-year strata, with an OR of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.83) for 1993-1998 compared with an OR of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.64, 1.23) for 1982-1987. Conclusions: The consumption of cruciferous vegetables increased during the past 2 decades, showing different trends in cases and controls. The subtle but sustained increase in cruciferous vegetable intake reported by the cases could influence association studies with breast cancer risk.

Background: Vitamin D may have anticancer activities. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in African Americans (AAs) may be a contributing factor to the cancer health disparities between AAs and European Americans (EAs). Objectives: We compared concentrations of 25(OH)D and vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) in AA and EA women and investigated determinants of the vitamin D-biomarker concentrations in both populations. Design: We used data and biospecimens from 909 AA and 847 EA healthy control subjects from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) and the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS) in the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Consortium. We measured plasma 25(OH)D and VDBP concentrations in all participants and genotyped 67 vitamin D-related genes in AA women only. Results: AA women had lower 25(OH)D concentrations than did EA women (mean ± SD: 14.2 ± 8.1 compared with 21.1 ± 11.5 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.0001) but similar concentrations of VDBP (mean ± SD: 344 ± 133 compared with 336 ± 124 μg/mL, respectively; P = 0.25). With VDBP and other factors controlled for, the observed racial difference in 25(OH)D concentrations did not diminish. Relations of demographic and lifestyle factors with 25(OH)D were similar between AA and EA women. Although none of the genetic variants that have been identified in previous genome-wide association studies of 25(OH)D concentrations in EAs were significant ( P > 0.05) in AAs, AA women who carried the allele of a functional single nucleotide polymorphism rs4988235, which has been previously associated with lactase expression and lactose tolerance, had higher dietary vitamin D intake and higher measured 25(OH)D concentrations. Conclusions: AA women have lower concentrations of total 25(OH)D than EA women do, but both groups have similar VDBP concentrations, suggesting that there are lower concentrations of free 25(OH)D in AAs. Although demographic and lifestyle determinants of 25(OH)D concentrations are similar between the 2 groups, genetic determinants may be ethnicity specific. Larger studies in AAs will be needed to fully elucidate the underlying determinants of low vitamin D concentrations in AA populations., (© 2017 American Society for Nutrition.)

Objective: To investigate the association between breastfeeding and endometrial cancer risk using pooled data from 17 studies participating in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium., Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis with individual-level data from three cohort and 14 case-control studies. Study-specific odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for the association between breastfeeding and risk of endometrial cancer using multivariable logistic regression and pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. We investigated between-study heterogeneity with I  and Q statistics and metaregression., Results: After excluding nulliparous women, the analyses included 8,981 women with endometrial cancer and 17,241 women in a control group. Ever breastfeeding was associated with an 11% reduction in risk of endometrial cancer (pooled OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.98). Longer average duration of breastfeeding per child was associated with lower risk of endometrial cancer, although there appeared to be some leveling of this effect beyond 6-9 months. The association with ever breastfeeding was not explained by greater parity and did not vary notably by body mass index or histologic subtype (grouped as endometrioid and mucinous compared with serous and clear cell)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that reducing endometrial cancer risk can be added to the list of maternal benefits associated with breastfeeding. Ongoing promotion, support, and facilitation of this safe and beneficial behavior might therefore contribute to the prevention of this increasingly common cancer.