Milk Intake in Early Life and Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer

Abstract

The authors investigated whether early-life residency in certain areas of Iceland marked by distinct differences in milk intake was associated with risk of prostate cancer in a population-based cohort of 8,894 men born between 1907 and 1935. Through linkage to cancer and mortality registers, the men were followed for prostate cancer diagnosis and mortality from study entry (in waves from 1967 to 1987) through 2009. In 2002-2006, a subgroup of 2,268 participants reported their milk intake in early, mid-, and current life. During a mean follow-up period of 24.3 years, 1,123 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 371 with advanced disease (stage 3 or higher or prostate cancer death). Compared with early-life residency in the capital area, rural residency in the first 20 years of life was marginally associated with increased risk of advanced prostate cancer (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97, 1.73), particularly among men born before 1920 (hazard ratio = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.56). Daily milk consumption in adolescence (vs. less than daily), but not in midlife or currently, was associated with a 3.2-fold risk of advanced prostate cancer (95% CI: 1.25, 8.28). These data suggest that frequent milk intake in adolescence increases risk of advanced prostate cancer.

Animal (De)liberation: Should the Consumption of Animal Products Be Banned?

“…This is more or less the opposite of what was found in a longitudinal study of 4,383 English and Scottish children who participated in a family food study between 1937 and 1939: no positive link between high cows' milk consumption and prostate cancer risk was found, but the study did find a near-tripling in the odds of colorectal cancer amongst those who had been raised in households with high dairy consumption (van der Pols et al 2007). Some other studies, however, also found a positive link between high consumption of dairy and prostate cancer risk (N. Allen et al 2008;Chan et al 2005;Torfadottir et al 2011). Much has been written on the latter issue, but little clarity has been provided because of the high likelihood of confounding factors.…”

Acne: Risk Indicator for Increased Body Mass Index and Insulin Resistance

“…There is convincing evidence from molecular oncology that increased mTORC1 signalling steers cancer initiation and metastasis (38). It is thus of concern that epidemiological evidence from Island emphasised an association between daily milk consumption during adolescence and increased risk for advanced prostate cancer later in life (39). Again, the time of puberty, which is associated with the highest incidence of acne, appears to be a most sensitive period affecting long-term prostatic tissue homeostasis (37).…”

Physical Activity from Early Adulthood and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A 24-Year Follow-Up Study among Icelandic Men

“…15). Weight, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, serum glucose, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were not included in the multivariate models as these variables were not important predictors for prostate cancer or significant confounders in the statistical analysis.…”