© 2005 Oxford University Press
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In Brief
Studies Examine Associations Between Diet and Breast and Colon Cancers
Although diet is often blamed for high rates of certain cancers, the evidence that diet affects either specific or overall cancer incidence is mixed. Two new studies can now be added to the mix: one that found that high consumption of red meat and processed foods is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, and another that found that fruit and vegetable consumption is not associated with breast cancer risk.
In a study published in the January 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at meat consumption among the nearly 150,000 adults in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort. They found positive associations between consumption of processed meat and the risk of colon cancer and high consumption of red meat and the risk of rectal cancer. In addition, prolonged consumption of poultry and fish was associated with a small reduction in the risk of distal colon cancer.
In a second study in the same issue of JAMA, researchers examined the association between fruit and vegetable intake and breast cancer in the more than 285,000 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. They found no association between total or specific fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduced risk of breast cancer.
FDA Issues Advice on COX-2 Inhibitors
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including the COX-2 inhibitors celecoxib (Celebrex) and valdecoxib (Bextra). Reviews of several ongoing prevention trials that are testing these drugs have raised concerns that their long-term use or use in high-risk settings may increase a person's risk of cardiovascular events. The FDA is now requiring an evaluation of all ongoing prevention trials using celecoxib and valdecoxib to ensure adequate precautions are taken.
For the public, the FDA recommends that physicians prescribing celecoxib or valdecoxib consider the recent information on the drugs and a patient's risk of cardiovascular events when weighing the risks and benefits for individual patients. In addition, they advise that all over-the-counter pain medications, including NSAIDs, be taken in strict accordance with the label and that they should be taken for longer than 10 days only after consultation with a physician.
The public health advisory is a temporary measure until the FDA can collect more data. In addition, the FDA will hold an advisory committee meeting in February to provide for a public discussion of the issues.
A statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is available at http://www.fda.gov/.
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