Healthy Diets and Lung Cancer?
A surprising new study has suggested that eating a healthy diet might be linked to higher risk of lung cancer in young non-smokers. Yes, you read that right!
This is due to pesticide residue in whole grains, fruits and vegetables; playing a role in increased rates of lung cancer among non-smokers below the age of 50. The new research is from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, particularly of Keck Medicine of USC, presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
“Our research shows that younger non-smokers who eat a higher quantity of healthy foods than the general population are more likely to develop lung cancer,” said Dr. Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist and lung cancer specialist with USC Norris and lead investigator of the study.
“These counter-intuitive findings raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer related to otherwise beneficial food that needs to be addressed.”
About This Study
New studies have found an increase in young-onset lung cancer incidences among those who never smoked. This prompted the researchers to further examine the reasons behind this.
The study group included 187 patients with lung cancer including 78% women. The team gathered epidemiological surgery data including smoking history, oral contraceptive use and demographics. They also reviewed dietary habits.
They team analysed their diet using Healthy Eating Index (HEI), a system that ranks the quality of diet on a scale of 1 to 100. Researchers then compared the diets with those of the wider population.
It was found that younger lung cancer patients had an average score of 65 out of 100, in comparison with national average of 57. Also, women had higher HEI scores in comparison to men.
Dietary Patterns Observed
The patients were served more servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains per day than the general population.
The average American adults ate about 3.6 servings of dark green vegetables and legumes and 2.6 servings of whole grains per day. These patients were served 4.3 servings of dark green vegetables and legumes and 3.9 servings of whole grains per day.
They reported that majority of the participants of each group had never smoked. Also, they found a surprising association between dietary choices and risk.
Findings of the Study
The findings of the study were shocking but it was also made clear that there’s likely more to this association that it seems. The link is may be due to pesticide exposure. Also, the findings are not strong enough to make that connection.
Shortcomings
It was also made clear that this association does not mean that healthy foods cause cancer.
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done from measuring pesticides metabolites in lung cancer patients to looking at different geographies and relative uses of specific chemical substances.
More Research Required
The link between pesticides and lung cancer in young people needs more research to come at some concrete solutions.
In this study, the researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides but used published data on average pesticide levels for food categories to estimate the exposure.
This study represents a critical step towards identifying environmental factors that are responsible for contributing to lung cancer among youngsters. The study insights can guide both public and health experts for further investigation into lung cancer prevention.
Research Support
The research is supported by the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute, a nonprofit focused on advancing lung cancer research and care, as well as AstraZeneca, the Beth Longwell Foundation, Genentech, GO2 for Lung Cancer and Upstage Lung Cancer.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always consult with your healthcare professional for any medical needs.
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