Table 4.
All-cancer and cancer-specific sites among vegetarian and non-vegetarian Adventists.
| Cancer Sites | Person at-Risk | No. of Events | Parameter Estimates | Non-vegetarian | Vegetarian | Cohort(s) & References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR or HR (95% CI) | ||||||
| Colon [a],* | 34,198 | 107 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.55 (0.35, 0.81) | AHS-1 [21] |
| Colon [b],† | 34,198 | 166 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.39 (0.19, 0.83) | AHS-1 [24] |
| Gastrointestinal Tract [c],♠ | 69,120 | 495 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.77 (0.63, 0.93) | AHS-2 [20] |
| Lung [h] | 34,198 | 45 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.86 (0.42, 1.79) | AHS-1 [21] |
| Respiratory Tract [c] | 69,120 | 170 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.75 (0.54, 1.04) | AHS-2 [20] |
| Urinary Tract [c] | 69,120 | 194 | HR | 1 [referent] | 1.21 (0.89, 1.65) | AHS-2 [20] |
| All-male Cancer [d] | 24,446 | 553 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.94 (0.42, 2.07) | |
| Prostate [a] | 34,198 | 127 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.65 (0.44, 0.95) | AHS-1 [21] |
| All-female Cancer [e] | 44,674 | 801 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.97 (0.84, 1.13) | AHS-2 [20] |
| Breast [a] | 34,198 | 128 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.80 (0.56, 1.15) | AHS-1 [21] |
| Uterine [a] | 34,198 | 1.16 | RR | 1 [referent] | 0.85 (0.58, 1.23) | |
| Overall-Cancer [f],‡ | 69,120 | 2939 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.92 (0.85, 1.00) | AHS-2 [20] |
| Males [g] | 24,446 | 1235 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.92 (0.81, 1.03) | |
| Females [f] | 44,674 | 1704 | HR | 1 [referent] | 0.93 (0.84, 1.03) | |
All-female cancer includes female breast, vulva, vagina, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, endometrial, uterus, and ovary. Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract includes esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver and bile ducts, gallbladder, biliary tract, and pancreas. All-male cancer includes prostate, penis, and testis. Cancer of the respiratory tract and intra-thoracic organs include nasal cavity, middle ear, larynx, trachea, bronchus, lung, heart, mediastinum, and pleura. Cancer of the urinary tract includes renal pelvis, ureter, kidney, and bladder. RR = relative risk; HR = hazard ratio. [a] Adjusted for age and sex; * p = 0.0032; [b] Adjusted for age, sex, and parental history of colon cancer; and relative to vegetarians with legume intake of <1 time/week; † p = 0.03; [c] Multivariate HR model adjusted for age, family history of cancer, education, smoking, alcohol, and BMI; ♠ p < 0.05; [d] Multivariate HR model adjusted for age, family history of cancer, education, smoking, and alcohol. Applicable only for male-specific cancer; [e] Multivariate HR model adjusted by race, family history of cancer, education, smoking, alcohol, age at menarche, pregnancies, breastfeeding, oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, menopause status, and BMI; [f] HR adjusted by race, family history of cancer, BMI, education, smoking, alcohol, age at menarche, pregnancies, breastfeeding, oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and menopause status; ‡ p = 0.05; [g] HR adjusted by race, family history of cancer, BMI, education, smoking, and alcohol; [h] Adjusted for age, sex, and for past and present smoking.