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Risk factors for young-onset colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

We investigated risk factors for colorectal cancer in early-onset cancers, to provide quantitative estimates for major selected risk factors.

Methods

We analyzed data from three Italian and Swiss case–control studies conducted between 1985 and 2009, including 329 colorectal cancer cases and 1,361 controls aged ≤45 years. We computed odds ratios (ORs) from unconditional logistic regression models, adjusted for major confounding factors.

Results

The OR of young-onset colorectal cancer was 4.50 for family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives, the association being higher in subjects with affected siblings (OR 11.68) than parents (OR 3.75). The ORs of young-onset colorectal cancer were 1.56 for ≥14 drinks/week of alcohol, 1.56 for the highest tertile of processed meat, 0.40 for vegetables, 0.75 for fruit, and 0.78 for fish intake. Among micronutrients, the ORs were 0.52 for β-carotene, 0.68 for vitamin C, 0.38 for vitamin E, and 0.59 for folate. No significant associations emerged for physical activity, overweight, and diabetes.

Conclusions

This study—the largest on young-onset colorectal cancer—confirms that several recognized risk factors for colorectal cancer are also relevant determinants of young-onset colorectal cancer. Family history of colorectal cancer in particular is a stronger risk factor in young subjects, as compared to middle age and elderly ones.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC), Milan, Italy (Grant No. 10068), and by the Swiss League and Research against Cancer/Oncosuisse (Grant No. KFS-700, OCS-1633). The authors thank Mrs. I Garimoldi for editorial assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Via Giuseppe La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy

    Valentina Rosato, Cristina Bosetti, Eva Negri & Carlo La Vecchia

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Valentina Rosato, Antonella Zucchetto & Carlo La Vecchia

  3. Cancer Epidemiology Unit and Registre Vaudois des Tumeurs, Institut de Médecine Sociale et Préventive (IUMSP), Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Fabio Levi

  4. Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, IRCCS, Aviano, PN, Italy

    Jerry Polesel & Antonella Zucchetto

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  1. Valentina Rosato
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  2. Cristina Bosetti
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  3. Fabio Levi
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  6. Eva Negri
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  7. Carlo La Vecchia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cristina Bosetti.

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Rosato, V., Bosetti, C., Levi, F. et al. Risk factors for young-onset colorectal cancer. Cancer Causes Control 24, 335–341 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0119-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0119-3

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