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Food intake and risk of cutaneous melanoma in an Italian population

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 62, pages 1351–1354 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

We investigated the association of melanoma risk with food consumption in a northern Italian population in which disease risk was shown to correlate with linoleic acid and soluble carbohydrates intake. We collected information regarding the habitual consumption of 188 food items in 59 patients with newly diagnosed cutaneous melanoma and 59 sex- and age-matched population controls. In the unadjusted analyses, the intake of several foodstuffs directly or inversely correlated with melanoma risk. In multivariate analysis adjusting for several potential confounders, risk correlated directly with vegetable oil intake and inversely with consumption of crispbreads and rusks. Overall, most of the food items rich in linoleic acid and soluble carbohydrates were unrelated to disease risk. Despite the limited statistical precision of the point estimates, these findings seem to indicate that consumption of specific foods may influence melanoma risk.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the patients and the controls who participated in the study, and to the Department of Health of Emilia Romagna Region and the Modena Health Service Unit for the cooperation during the selection of eligible population controls. This study was supported by the Ministry of the University and of Scientific and Technological Research and by the Reggio Emilia Section of the ‘Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori’. This study was sponsored by University and charity

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

    M Vinceti, F Bonvicini, C Malagoli & M Bergomi

  2. Dermatologic Clinic, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

    G Pellacani, F Giusti & S Seidenari

  3. Department of Epidemiology, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy

    S Sieri & V Krogh

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  1. M Vinceti
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  2. F Bonvicini
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  3. G Pellacani
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  4. S Sieri
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  5. C Malagoli
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  6. F Giusti
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  7. V Krogh
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  8. M Bergomi
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  9. S Seidenari
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Correspondence to M Vinceti.

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Vinceti, M., Bonvicini, F., Pellacani, G. et al. Food intake and risk of cutaneous melanoma in an Italian population. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 1351–1354 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602850

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602850

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