Dietary Fiber and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Adenoma in Women

Methods. We conducted a prospective study of 88,757 women, who were 34 to
59 years old and had no history of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or
familial polyposis, who completed a dietary questionnaire in 1980. During a
16-year follow-up period, 787 cases of colorectal cancer were documented.
In addition, 1012 patients with adenomas of the distal colon and rectum
were found among 27,530 participants who underwent endoscopy during the
follow-up period.

Results. After adjustment for age, established risk factors, and total
energy intake, we found no association between the intake of dietary fiber
and the risk of colorectal cancer; <snip>  No protective effect of dietary
fiber was observed when we omitted adjustment for total energy intake, when
events during the first six years of follow-up were excluded, or when we
excluded women who altered their fiber intake during the follow-up period.
No significant association between fiber intake and the risk          of
colorectal adenoma was found.

Conclusions. Our data do not support the existence of an important
protective effect of dietary fiber against colorectal cancer or adenoma. (N
Engl J Med 1999;340:169-76.)

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[log in to unmask] (Liza May)