Objective: To investigate the association between dietary habits and pancreatic cancer.
Methods: Between 1991 and 2008, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study in northern Italy.
Cases: 326 patients (median age 63 years) with incident pancreatic cancer admitted to general hospitals in the areas of Milan and Pordenone, northern Italy.
Controls: 652 patients (median age 63 years) with acute non-neoplastic conditions admitted to the same hospital network of cases. Diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results: Frequent meat consumption was associated to a twofold increased risk of pancreatic cancer (95% CI: 1.18-3.36); the risk was significant for meat cooked by boiling/stewing or broiling/roasting. Added table sugar (OR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.34-3.71) and potatoes (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.12-2.86) were related to pancreatic cancer. An inverse association emerged for non-citrus fruits (OR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.24-0.69), cooked vegetables (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.36-0.92), and, possibly, for pulses (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.35-1.00).
Conclusions: The present study supports an inverse association between fruits and vegetables and pancreatic cancer risk, and it confirms a direct relation with meat. The increased risk for table sugar suggests that insulin resistance may play a role in pancreatic carcinogenesis.