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322269
Raw garlic consumption and risk of lung cancer in a Chinese population


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 4:48 p.m. - 5:06 p.m.

Ajay Myneni, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Shen-Chih Chang, Ph.D., Epidemiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Li Liu, Taiyuan City Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Taiyuan, China
Rungui Niu, Shanxi Tumor Hospital, Taiyuan, China
Mya Swanson, BA, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Baoxing Zhao, Taiyuan City Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Taiyuan, China
Jianping Shi, Taiyuan City Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Taiyuan, China
Xiaoyou Han, Shanxi Tumor Hospital, Taiyuan, China
Jiawei Li, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Jia Su, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Shunzhang Yu, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Zuo-Feng Zhang, PhD MD, Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
Lina Mu, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Garlic consumption has been shown to be inversely associated with cancer of various anatomical sites in in-vitro and in-vivo as well as case-control studies in different populations but there is limited epidemiological evidence on association with lung cancer. We aimed to investigate the relationship between raw garlic consumption and lung cancer and explore potential interaction between raw garlic consumption and known risk factors in association with lung cancer.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study between 2005 and 2007 in Taiyuan, China. Raw garlic consumption and information on relevant covariates was obtained through face-to-face interviews with 399 incident lung cancer cases and 466 healthy control subjects using a structured questionnaire. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models. Adjusted models controlled for age, average household income 10 years ago, pack years of smoking, tea drinking and indoor air pollution level.

Results: Approximately 57% of our study population consumed raw garlic and 29% consumed raw garlic two or more times per week. Raw garlic consumption was associated with lower risk of development of lung cancer with a dose-response pattern (Ptrend = 0.0002). Consumption of raw garlic was inversely associated with lung cancer [aOR for <2 times per week = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34 – 0.74 and aOR for ≥2 times per week = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.32 – 0.72]. Raw garlic consumption was inversely associated with lung cancer among never smokers as well as ever smokers. The association of raw garlic consumption with lung cancer did not differ by age, sex, alcohol drinking, tea drinking or indoor air pollution. We did not find significant multiplicative or additive interaction between garlic consumption and other known risk factors in association with lung cancer.

Discussion: We observed that raw garlic consumption was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer with a dose-response pattern, substantiating the anti-cancer properties of garlic found in in-vitro and animal studies. These associations should be further verified in larger and different populations.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss whether consumption of raw garlic reduces risk of lung cancer in a Chinese population.

Keyword(s): Cancer, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate student who has been working on this research project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4414.0: New Findings in Cancer Research and Epidemiology