Research Question:
Quantification of the association between the intake of fruit and vegetables and the risk of getting esophagus squamous cell carcinoma is controversial. It was therefore carried out this review article.
Eating fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of getting the type of esophageal cancer, the esophagus squamous cell carcinoma?
Study Design:
This overview article contained 32 studies until July 2012 with 10037 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
There was heterogeneity between the studies but no publication bias.
Results and conclusions:
The researchers found that eating lots of vegetables compared with little vegetables, the chances of getting of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma significantly with 44% [95% CI = 0.45-0.69] reduced. Significant is, there is a link at a 95% reliability.
The researchers found that eating a lot of fruit compared with little fruit, the chances of getting of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma significantly with 47% [95% CI = 0.44-0.64] reduced.
The researchers found that there is a non-linear relationship existed between eating fruit and getting of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The non-linear relationship existed also for eating fruits.
The researchers concluded that eating fruit vegetables as the chance of getting both of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma may be reduced. Possible because there was heterogeneity between the studies.
Heterogeneity between the studies, that the results found should be interpreted with caution.
Original title:
Intake of fruit and vegetables and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis of observational studies by Liu J, Wang J, [...], Lv (C).
Link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23319052
Additional information about El Mondo:
The recommendation for vegetables is 200-300 grams per day and for fruit 2-5 pieces per day.
Esophageal cancer is more common in men than in women. Most of the people who get esophageal cancer, is older than 50 years.
Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor in the esophagus. There are two types of esophageal cancer:
- Esophagus squamous cell carcinoma. This tumor forms from the layer of cells that line the inside of the esophagus and arises especially in the middle and lower part of the esophagus.
- Esophageal adenocarcinoma. This tumor develops from cylindrical epithelium, also called Barrett epithelium called.
The exact cause of esophageal cancer is unclear.
Risk factors that the chances of getting of esophageal cancer can enhance are:
- Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
- Unhealthy and one-sided diet.
- Eating few fruits and vegetables.
- Overweight (BMI 25 >).
- Regular and lengthy flowing back of stomach acid into the esophagus (called also known as heartburn or reflux).