How diet quality may lead to oral cancer
Poor dietary habits could contribute to a sex-based difference in the risk of oral cavity cancer.
In a study published in Head & Neck, investigators used the data from the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study involving over 200,000 male and female participants who did not have cancer diagnoses at baseline to examine the relationship between three dietary patterns — including the Western, Prudent and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 diets — and the subsequent incidence of oral cavity cancer. The participants were asked to complete validated food frequency questionnaires every four years.
After a follow-up of 30 years, the investigators identified 226 oral cavity cancer cases. Female participants demonstrated a heightened risk of oral cavity cancer on the basis of several dietary factors, namely those who had the lowest adherence to the Prudent and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 diets were more likely to develop cancer. The association remained in a subgroup of female participants who had light to no smoking or alcohol intake for the lowest adherence to the Prudent diet. Despite the correlations noted among female participants, the male participants exhibited no associations between adherence to the Western, Prudent and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 diets and oral cavity cancer.
The investigators emphasized that poor diet quality could represent a modifiable risk factor for oral cancers in certain women. However, larger studies will be needed to validate the results of the study and better elucidate the mechanisms underlying the connection between dietary patterns and oral cavity cancer.
Read more: Head & Neck
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.