J Nutr. 2013 Feb;143(2):189-96.
Whole milk intake is associated with prostate cancer-specific mortality among U.S. male physicians.
Song Y, Chavarro JE, Cao Y, Qiu W, Mucci L, Sesso HD, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Pollak M, Liu S, Ma J.
Source
Department of Epidemiology and Program on Genomics and Nutrition, Fielding
School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,
USA.
Abstract
Previous studies have associated higher milk intake with greater prostate cancer
(PCa) incidence, but little data are available concerning milk types and the
relation between milk intake and risk of fatal PCa. We investigated the
association between intake of dairy products and the incidence and survival of
PCa during a 28-y follow-up. We conducted a cohort study in the Physicians'
Health Study (n = 21,660) and a survival analysis among the incident PCa cases
(n = 2806). Information on dairy product consumption was collected at baseline.
PCa cases and deaths (n = 305) were confirmed during follow-up. The intake of
total dairy products was associated with increased PCa incidence [HR = 1.12 (95%
CI: 0.93, 1.35); >2.5 servings/d vs. <=0.5 servings/d]. Skim/low-fat milk intake
was positively associated with risk of low-grade, early stage, and
screen-detected cancers, whereas whole milk intake was associated only with
fatal PCa [HR = 1.49 (95% CI: 0.97, 2.28); >=237 mL/d (1 serving/d) vs. rarely
consumed]. In the survival analysis, whole milk intake remained associated with
risk of progression to fatal disease after diagnosis [HR = 2.17 (95% CI: 1.34,
3.51)]. In this prospective cohort, higher intake of skim/low-fat milk was
associated with a greater risk of nonaggressive PCa. Most importantly, only
whole milk was consistently associated with higher incidence of fatal PCa in the
entire cohort and higher PCa-specific mortality among cases. These findings add
further evidence to suggest the potential role of dairy products in the
development and prognosis of PCa.
PMID: 23256145 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]