%0 Journal Article
%T Cured meat, vegetables, and bean-curd foods in relation to childhood acute leukemia risk: A population based case-control study
%A Chen-yu Liu
%A Yi-Hsiang Hsu
%A Ming-Tsang Wu
%A Pi-Chen Pan
%A Chi-Kung Ho
%A Li Su
%A Xin Xu
%A Yi Li
%A David C Christiani
%A the Kaohsiung Leukemia Research Group
%J BMC Cancer
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2407-9-15
%X A population-based case-control study of Han Chinese between 2 and 20 years old was conducted in southern Taiwan. 145 acute leukemia cases and 370 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited between 1997 and 2005. Dietary data were obtained from a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were used in data analyses.Consumption of cured/smoked meat and fish more than once a week was associated with an increased risk of acute leukemia (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.15¨C2.64). Conversely, higher intake of vegetables (OR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.37¨C0.83) and bean-curd (OR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.34¨C0.89) was associated with a reduced risk. No statistically significant association was observed between leukemia risk and the consumption of pickled vegetables, fruits, and tea.Dietary exposure to cured/smoked meat and fish may be associated with leukemia risk through their contents of nitrites and nitrosamines among children and adolescents, and intake of vegetables and soy-bean curd may be protective.Leukemia is the most frequent type of childhood cancer [1]. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), representing 80% of diagnoses, is the main subtype of childhood leukemia followed by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the chronic subtypes of leukemia [1]. Lower incidence of childhood leukemia has been documented among Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans than among Caucasians [2]. Several risk factors are thought to play a role in the hematopoietic carcinogenesis. These factors include environmental factors (e.g., benzene, ionizing radiation, nonionizing electromagnetic fields, pesticides, occupations, and parental occupations), medical events (e.g., radiation therapy, and chemotherapy agents), and familial and genetic factors. However, not all leukemia cases are explainable by these factors [3-5].Nutrition has been previously implicated in playing a complex role in cancer etiology. Carcinogen exposure may occur through preservation methods and high temperature cooking [6]. Chinese-style salted fish
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/9/15