Endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) technique and analgesic efficacy in patients with pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) for the treatment of abdominal pain in pancreatic cancer can be administered in three different ways, depending on the site of needle insertion: central injection (CI), bilateral injection (BI) and celiac ganglia neurolysis (CGN). This meta-analysis aimed to (1) estimate the overall efficacy of the EUS-CPN; (2) compare the efficacy of each of the three techniques; and (3) investigate demographic and disease characteristics as potential predictors of treatment response.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that reported the proportion of treatment responders to EUS-CPN overall, and according to the technique used. We performed a random effects meta-analysis of proportions, and meta-regression was used to estimate the association between technique and clinical characteristics on treatment response. The safety profile was reviewed through narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

Overall response rate to EUS-CPN was 68% (95% CI 61%-74%) at week two and 53% (95% CI 45%-62%) at week four. There was no evidence of a significant difference in the response rates between the three techniques. Demographics and disease characteristics were not associated with treatment response. Serious complications have been reported for BI and CGN but not for CI. Moderate to high risk of bias was observed.

DISCUSSION

EUS-CPN is a useful adjunct to opioids in the management of pain. There is no evidence of a difference in the efficacy among the three techniques, however, CI is the only one for which serious complications have not been reported. Future research should focus on the appropriate timing of EUS-CPN (early versus on demand) and randomised comparison to establish the comparative efficacy of each technique.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of later-onset Crohn's disease: results from two large prospective cohort studies

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between Mediterranean diet and risk of later-onset Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).

DESIGN

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 83 147 participants (age range: 45-79 years) enrolled in the Cohort of Swedish Men and Swedish Mammography Cohort. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate an adherence score to a modified Mediterranean diet (mMED) at baseline in 1997. Incident diagnoses of CD and UC were ascertained from the Swedish Patient Register. We used Cox proportional hazards modelling to calculate HRs and 95% CI.

RESULTS

Through December of 2017, we confirmed 164 incident cases of CD and 395 incident cases of UC with an average follow-up of 17 years. Higher mMED score was associated with a lower risk of CD (P_trend=0.03) but not UC (P_trend=0.61). Compared with participants in the lowest category of mMED score (0-2), there was a statistically significant lower risk of CD (HR=0.42, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.80) but not UC (HR=1.08, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.58). These associations were not modified by age, sex, education level, body mass index or smoking (all P_interaction >0.30). The prevalence of poor adherence to a Mediterranean diet (mMED score=0-2) was 27% in our cohorts, conferring a population attributable risk of 12% for later-onset CD.

CONCLUSION

In two prospective studies, greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of later-onset CD.

Adjuvant statin therapy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma: the STAT-ROC feasibility study

Background

Statins inhibit proliferative signalling in oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and their use is associated with better survival in observational studies. The present study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of assessing adjuvant statin therapy in patients with operable OAC in a phase III RCT.

Methods

For this multicentre, double‐blind, parallel‐group, randomized, placebo‐controlled feasibility trial, adults with OAC (including Siewert I–II lesions) who had undergone oesophagectomy were centrally allocated (1 : 1) to simvastatin 40 mg or matching placebo by block randomization, stratified by centre. Participants, clinicians and investigators were blinded to treatment allocation. Patients received treatment for up to 1 year. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, retention, drug absorption, adherence, safety, quality of life, generalizability and survival.

Results

A total of 120 patients were assessed for eligibility at four centres, of whom 32 (26·7 per cent) were randomized, 16 in each group. Seven patients withdrew. Participants allocated to simvastatin had lower low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 3 months (adjusted mean difference −0·83 (95 per cent c.i. −1·4 to −0·22) mmol/l; P = 0·009). Median adherence to medication was greater than 90 per cent between 3 and 12 months' follow‐up. Adverse events were similar between the groups. Quality‐of‐life data were complete for 98·3 per cent of questionnaire items. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and aspirin use were more prevalent in the non‐randomized group, whereas tumour site, stage and grade were similar between groups. Survival estimates were imprecise.

Conclusion

This RCT supports the conduct and informs the design considerations for a future phase III trial of adjuvant statin therapy in patients with OAC. Registration number: ISRCTN98060456 (http://www.isrctn/com).

Oral antibiotic use and risk of colorectal cancer in the United Kingdom, 1989-2012: a matched case-control study

BACKGROUND

Microbiome dysbiosis predisposes to colorectal cancer (CRC), but a population-based study of oral antibiotic exposure and risk patterns is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between oral antibiotic use and CRC risk.

DESIGN

A matched case-control study (incident CRC cases and up to five matched controls) was performed using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink from 1989 to 2012.

RESULTS

28 980 CRC cases and 137 077 controls were identified. Oral antibiotic use was associated with CRC risk, but effects differed by anatomical location. Antibiotic use increased the risk of colon cancer in a dose-dependent fashion (p_trend <0.001). The risk was observed after minimal use, and was greatest in the proximal colon and with antibiotics with anti-anaerobic activity. In contrast, an inverse association was detected between antibiotic use and rectal cancers (p_trend=0.003), particularly with length of antibiotic exposure >60 days (adjusted OR (aOR), 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.93) as compared with no antibiotic exposure. Penicillins, particularly ampicillin/amoxicillin increased the risk of colon cancer (aOR=1.09 (1.05 to 1.13)), whereas tetracyclines reduced the risk of rectal cancer (aOR=0.90 (0.84 to 0.97)). Significant interactions were detected between antibiotic use and tumour location (colon vs rectum, p_interaction<0.001; proximal colon versus distal colon, p_interaction=0.019). The antibiotic-cancer association was found for antibiotic exposure occurring >10 years before diagnosis (aOR=1.17 (1.06 to 1.31)).

CONCLUSION

Oral antibiotic use is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer but a reduced risk of rectal cancer. This effect heterogeneity may suggest differences in gut microbiota and carcinogenesis mechanisms along the lower intestinal tract.

Bridging clinic: The initial medical management of patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the UK and has the worst prognosis of any tumour with minimal improvements in survival over recent decades. As most patients are either ineligible for surgery or may decline chemotherapy, the emphasis is on control of symptoms and management of complications such as poor nutritional status. The time period between informing the patient of their diagnosis and commencing cancer treatments presents a valuable opportunity to proactively identify and treat symptoms to optimise patients' overall well-being. The 'bridging clinic', delivered by a range of healthcare professionals from gastroenterologists to nurse practitioners, can provide this interface where patients are first informed of their diagnosis and second supportive therapies offered. In this article, we provide a structure for instituting such supportive therapies at the bridging clinic. The components of the clinic are summarised using the mnemonic INDASH (Information/Nutrition/Diabetes and Depression/Analgesia/Stenting/Hereditary) and each is discussed in detail below.

The association between preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise-test variables and short-term morbidity after esophagectomy: A hospital-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Postoperative complications after esophagectomy are thought to be associated with reduced fitness. This observational study explored the associations between aerobic fitness, as determined objectively by preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPEX), and 30-day morbidity after esophagectomy.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 254 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy at a single academic teaching hospital between September 2011 and March 2017. Postoperative complication data were measured using the Esophageal Complications Consensus Group definitions and graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification system of severity (blinded to cardiopulmonary exercise testing values). Associations between preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables and postoperative outcomes were estimated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 206 patients (77% male) were included in the analyses, with a mean age of 67 years (SD 9). The mean values for the maximal oxygen consumed at the peak of exercise (VO_2peak) and the anaerobic threshold were 21.1 mL/kg/min (SD 4.5) and 12.4 mL/kg/min (SD 2.8), respectively. The vast majority of patients (98.5%) had malignant disease-predominantly adenocarcinoma (84.5%), for which most received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (79%) and underwent minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (53%). Complications at postoperative day 30 occurred in 111 patients (54%), the majority of which were cardiopulmonary (72%). No associations were found between preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables and morbidity for either VO_2peak (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.94-1.07) or anaerobic threshold (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.89-1.09).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables were not associated with 30-day complications after esophagectomy. The findings do not support the use of cardiopulmonary exercise testing as an isolated preoperative screening tool to predict short-term morbidity after esophagectomy. This modestly sized observational work highlights the need for larger studies examining associations between preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing and outcomes after esophagectomy to look for consistency in our findings.

Dietary Fiber and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

OBJECTIVES

High dietary fiber may protect against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We investigated associations between fiber intake and the risk of PDAC using for the first time 7-day food diaries.

METHODS

Participants in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer-Norfolk completed the 7-day food diaries at recruitment. The cohort was followed up for 17 years to identify those who developed PDAC. Participants were divided into quintiles of fiber intake, and hazard ratios (HR) were estimated with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fiber was tested for effect modification of high red and processed meat intake and smoking and the risk of PDAC.

RESULTS

No significant associations for any quintiles of intake (HR Q5 vs Q1, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.56-2.08) were detected with no trend across quintiles. A high-fiber diet modified positive associations between red and processed meats with the development of PDAC (HR trends, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.47-1.69] and 1.02 [95% CI, 0.55-1.88], respectively) but not those with lower fiber intake. Fiber intake did not modify the risk of PDAC in past and current smokers.

CONCLUSION

The findings do not suggest that fiber protects against PDAC, although it may decrease potential deleterious effects of meats.

Metformin as an Adjunctive Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Review of the Literature on Its Potential Therapeutic Use

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has the worst prognosis of any cancer. New adjuvant chemotherapies are urgently required, which are well tolerated by patients with unresectable cancers. This paper reviews the existing proof of concept data, namely laboratory, pharmacoepidemiological, experimental medicine and clinical trial evidence for investigating metformin in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Laboratory evidence shows metformin inhibits mitochondrial ATP synthesis which directly and indirectly inhibits carcinogenesis. Drug-drug interactions of metformin with proton pump inhibitors and histamine H2-receptor antagonists may be of clinical relevance and pertinent to future research of metformin in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. To date, most cohort studies have demonstrated a positive association with metformin on survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, although there are many methodological limitations with such study designs. From experimental medicine studies, there are sparse data in humans. The current trials of metformin have methodological limitations. Two small randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported null findings, but there were potential inequalities in cancer staging between groups and poor compliance with the intervention. Proof of concept data, predominantly from laboratory work, supports assessing metformin as an adjunct for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in RCTs. Ideally, more experimental medicine studies are needed for proof of concept. However, many feasibility criteria need to be answered before such trials can progress.

The role of diet in the aetiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as IBD, are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Although the aetiopathogenesis of IBD is largely unknown, it is widely thought that diet has a crucial role in the development and progression of IBD. Indeed, epidemiological and genetic association studies have identified a number of promising dietary and genetic risk factors for IBD. These preliminary studies have led to major interest in investigating the complex interaction between diet, host genetics, the gut microbiota and immune function in the pathogenesis of IBD. In this Review, we discuss the recent epidemiological, gene-environment interaction, microbiome and animal studies that have explored the relationship between diet and the risk of IBD. In addition, we highlight the limitations of these prior studies, in part by explaining their contradictory findings, and review future directions.

Dietary antioxidant intake and the risk of developing Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

We investigated in a cohort study, for the first time using 7-day food diaries (7-DFDs), for age-dependent inverse associations with antioxidants, which have anti-carcinogenic properties, and development of Barrett's oesophagus (BO) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC).

METHODS

A total of 24,068 well individuals completed 7-DFDs and donated blood. Vitamins C and E, carotenes, zinc and selenium intakes, and plasma vitamin C were measured. Participants were monitored for 15 years for BO and OAC. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for: quintiles of intake and in participants younger and >=65 years at recruitment, the midpoint of BO peak prevalence.

RESULTS

A total of 197 participants developed BO and 74 OAC. There were no significant associations between antioxidants and BO or OAC in the whole cohort or if >65 years at recruitment. In participants <65 years, for BO, there was an inverse trend across plasma vitamin C quintiles (trend HR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.71-0.96, P = 0.01), OAC for plasma vitamin C (trend HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.37-0.92, P = 0.02) and for dietary vitamins C and E (trend HR = 0.71 95% CI = 0.51-0.99, P = 0.04 and trend HR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.51-0.96; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Data supports a role for dietary antioxidants prevent BO and OAC, perhaps at the earlier stages of carcinogenesis.

Prediagnostic Serum Vitamin D Levels and the Risk of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in European Populations: A Nested Case-Control Study

Background

A low vitamin D status has been put forward as a potential risk factor for the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study investigated the association between prediagnostic circulating vitamin D concentrations and dietary intakes of vitamin D, and the risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods

Among 359,728 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, individuals who developed CD or UC after enrollment were identified. Each case was matched with2 controls by center, gender, age, date of recruitment, and follow-up time. At cohort entry, blood samples were collected and dietary vitamin D intakes were obtained from validated food frequency questionnaires. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression was performed to determine the odds of CD and UC.

Results

Seventy-two participants developed CD and 169 participants developed UC after a median follow-up of 4.7 and 4.1 years, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile, no associations with the 3 higher quartiles of vitamin D concentrations were observed for CD (p trend = 0.34) or UC (p trend = 0.66). Similarly, no associations were detected when serum vitamin D levels were analyzed as a continuous variable. Dietary vitamin D intakes were not associated with CD (p trend = 0.39) or UC (p trend = 0.83).

Conclusions

Vitamin D status was not associated with the development of CD or UC. This does not suggest a major role for vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of IBD, although larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Dietary Polyphenols in the Aetiology of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis-A Multicenter European Prospective Cohort Study (EPIC)

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress may be involved in the aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease and whether dietary polyphenols, which possess antioxidants properties, prevent its development is unknown.

METHODS

A total of 401,326 men and women aged 20 to 80 years from 8 countries were recruited between 1991 and 1998 and at baseline completed validated food frequency questionnaires. Dietary polyphenol intake was measured using Phenol-Explorer, a database with information on the content of 502 polyphenols. Incident cases of Crohn's diseases (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were identified during the follow-up period of up to December 2010. A nested case-control study using conditional logistic regression estimated the odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals, for polyphenol intake (categories based on quartiles) and developing CD or UC.

RESULTS

In total, 110 CD (73% women) and 244 UC (57% women) cases were identified and matched to 440 and 976 controls, respectively. Total polyphenol intake was not associated with CD (P trend = 0.17) or UC (P trend = 0.16). For flavones and CD, there were reduced odds for all quartiles, which were statistically significant for the third (OR3rd versus 1st quartile = 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.69) and there was an inverse trend across quartiles (P = 0.03). Similarly, for resveratrol, there was an inverse association with CD (OR4th versus 1st quartile = 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.82) with an inverse trend across quartiles (P = 0.02). No significant associations between subtypes of polyphenols and UC were found. Effect modification by smoking in CD was documented with borderline statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

The data supports a potential role of flavones and resveratrol in the risk of developing CD; future aetiological studies should investigate these dietary components and further examine the potential for residual confounding.

Does physical activity protect against the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma? A review of the literature with a meta-analysis

Physical activity affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal system through both local and systemic effects and may play an important role in reducing the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. This review assesses the biological mechanisms and epidemiological evidence for the relationship between physical activity and the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor diseases: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and Barrett's esophagus. A search of PubMed, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL was conducted from their inceptions to 25th March 2017 for analytical studies that examined associations between recreational and/or occupational levels of physical activity and the risk of GORD, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Where appropriate, a meta-analysis of effects was undertaken. Seven studies were included (2 cohort, 5 case control). For GORD, there were three case-control studies with 10 200 cases among 78 034 participants, with a pooled estimated OR of 0.67 (95% CI 0.57-0.78) for high versus low levels of recreational physical activity. In Barrett's esophagus, there was a single case-control study, which reported no association, OR 1.19 (95% CI 0.82-1.73). For esophageal adenocarcinoma, there were three studies (two prospective cohort, one case control) with 666 cases among 910 376 participants. The largest cohort study reported an inverse association for high versus low levels of recreational physical activity, RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.96. The remaining two studies reported no associations with either occupational or combined recreational and occupational activity. Heterogeneity in the measurement of exposure (recreational, occupational, and both) made a pooled estimate for esophageal adenocarcinoma inappropriate. Although limited, there is some evidence that higher levels of recreational physical activity may reduce the risk of both GORD and esophageal adenocarcinoma, but further large cohort studies examining the type, intensity and duration of activities that may be beneficial are needed.

Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A European Nested Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Industrialization has been linked to the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

AIM

We investigated the association between air pollution exposure and IBD.

METHODS

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort was used to identify cases with Crohn's disease (CD) (n = 38) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 104) and controls (n = 568) from Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the UK, matched for center, gender, age, and date of recruitment. Air pollution data were obtained from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects. Residential exposure was assessed with land-use regression models for particulate matter with diameters of <10 μm (PM10), <2.5 μm (PM2.5), and between 2.5 and 10 μm (PMcoarse), soot (PM2.5 absorbance), nitrogen oxides, and two traffic indicators. Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Although air pollution was not significantly associated with CD or UC separately, the associations were mostly similar. Individuals with IBD were less likely to have higher exposure levels of PM2.5 and PM10, with ORs of 0.24 (95 % CI 0.07-0.81) per 5 μg/m(3) and 0.25 (95 % CI 0.08-0.78) per 10 μg/m(3), respectively. There was an inverse but nonsignificant association for PMcoarse. A higher nearby traffic load was positively associated with IBD [OR 1.60 (95 % CI 1.04-2.46) per 4,000,000 motor vehicles × m per day]. Other air pollutants were positively but not significantly associated with IBD.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to air pollution was not found to be consistently associated with IBD.

Dairy Products, Dietary Calcium, and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From a European Prospective Cohort Investigation

BACKGROUND

Dairy products may be involved in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease by modulating gut microbiota and immune responses, but data from epidemiological studies examining this relationship are limited. We investigated the association between prediagnostic intake of these foods and dietary calcium, and the subsequent development of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

In total, 401,326 participants were enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. At recruitment, consumption of total and specific dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese) and dietary calcium was measured using validated food frequency questionnaires. Cases developing incident CD (n = 110) or UC (n = 244) during follow-up were matched with 4 controls. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for total energy intake and smoking.

RESULTS

Compared with the lowest quartile, the ORs for the highest quartile of total dairy products and dietary calcium intake were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.32-1.19, p trend = 0.19) and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.28-1.42, p trend = 0.23) for CD, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.50-1.30, p trend = 0.40) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.49-1.34, p trend = 0.60) for UC, respectively. Compared with nonconsumers, individuals consuming milk had significantly reduced odds of CD (OR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.13-0.65) and nonsignificantly reduced odds of UC (OR 0.85, 95% CI, 0.49-1.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Milk consumption may be associated with a decreased risk of developing CD, although a clear dose-response relationship was not established. Further studies are warranted to confirm this possible protective effect.

Association Between Statin Use After Diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer and Survival: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors), commonly prescribed in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, promote apoptosis and limit proliferation of esophageal cancer cell lines. We investigated whether statin use after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer is associated with reduced esophageal cancer-specific and all-cause mortality.

METHODS

We identified a cohort of 4445 men and women in the United Kingdom diagnosed with esophageal cancer from January 2000 through November 2009 using the General Practice Research Database. The National Cancer Registry and Office of National Statistics datasets established the histologic subtype and cancer-specific mortality, respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis with time-dependent exposures estimated the association between statin use after diagnosis and esophageal cancer-specific and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

The median survival time of the entire cohort was 9.2 months (interquartile range [IQR], 3.7-23.2 mo). Among subjects who used statins after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, the median survival time was 14.9 months (IQR, 7.1-52.3 mo) compared with 8.1 months for nonusers (IQR, 3.3-20 mo). In the entire cohort, statin use after diagnosis was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer-specific mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.86) and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.77). In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, statin use after diagnosis was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer-specific mortality (HR, 0.61; 95% CI 0.38-0.96) and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.63; 95% 0.43-0.92). This effect was not observed in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. There was no evidence for effect modification of these associations with statin use before the cancer diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large population-based cohort, statin use after a diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but not esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, was associated with reduced esophageal cancer-specific and all-cause mortality.

Investigating Physical Activity in the Etiology of Pancreatic Cancer: The Age at Which This Is Measured Is Important and Is Independent of Body Mass Index

OBJECTIVES

There are plausible biological mechanisms for how increased physical activity (PA) may prevent pancreatic cancer, although findings from epidemiological studies are inconsistent. We investigated whether the risk is dependent on the age at which PA is measured and if independent of body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

A total of 23,639 participants, aged 40 to 74 years, were recruited into the EPIC-Norfolk (European Prospective Investigation of Cancer) cohort study between 1993 and 1997 and completed validated questionnaires on PA. The cohort was monitored for pancreatic cancer development, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated and adjusted for covariates.

RESULTS

Within 17 years, 88 participants developed pancreatic cancer (55% female). There was no association between PA and risk in the cohort (HR trend, 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.29). However, in participants younger than 60 years, higher PA was associated with decreased risk (highest vs lowest category HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.07-0.99). Higher PA was not inversely associated when older than 60 years (HR trend, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.96-1.57). Including BMI in all models produced similar estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

The reasons why PA in younger, but not older, people may prevent pancreatic cancer need to be investigated. Physical activity may operate through mechanisms independent of BMI. If this association is causal, 1 in 6 cases might be prevented by encouraging more PA.

Dietary Patterns and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Europe: Results from the EPIC Study

BACKGROUND

Specific nutrients or foods have been inconsistently associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) risks. Thus, we investigated associations between diet as a whole, as dietary patterns, and UC and CD risks.

METHODS

Within the prospective EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer) study, we set up a nested matched case-control study among 366,351 participants with inflammatory bowel disease data, including 256 incident cases of UC and 117 of CD, and 4 matched controls per case. Dietary intake was recorded at baseline from validated food frequency questionnaires. Incidence rate ratios of developing UC and CD were calculated for quintiles of the Mediterranean diet score and a posteriori dietary patterns produced by factor analysis.

RESULTS

No dietary pattern was associated with either UC or CD risks. However, when excluding cases occurring within the first 2 years after dietary assessment, there was a positive association between a "high sugar and soft drinks" pattern and UC risk (incidence rate ratios for the fifth versus first quintile, 1.68 [1.00-2.82]; Ptrend = 0.02). When considering the foods most associated with the pattern, high consumers of sugar and soft drinks were at higher UC risk only if they had low vegetables intakes.

CONCLUSIONS

A diet imbalance with high consumption of sugar and soft drinks and low consumption of vegetables was associated with UC risk. Further studies are needed to investigate whether microbiota alterations or other mechanisms mediate this association.

Cross-sectional and prospective associations between dietary and plasma vitamin C, heel bone ultrasound, and fracture risk in men and women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk cohort

BACKGROUND

Vitamin C sufficiency may help prevent osteoporosis and fractures by mediating osteoclastogenesis, osteoblastogenesis, and bone collagen synthesis.

OBJECTIVE

We determined whether dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of vitamin C were associated with a heel ultrasound and hip and spine fracture risks in older men and women.

DESIGN

Participants were recruited from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk study with 7-d diet diary estimates of vitamin C intake and plasma concentrations. A random subset (4000 of 25,639 subjects) was available for the cross-sectional (ultrasound) study of broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and velocity of sound (VOS), which were determined during the second health examination. The prospective (fracture) study was a case-cohort sample of all participants with a fracture up to March 2009 and the random subset (n = 5319). ANCOVA-determined associations between quintiles of vitamin C intake and plasma status with adjusted BUA and VOS and adjusted Prentice-weighted Cox proportional HRs were calculated for fracture risk.

RESULTS

Women were 58% of the population (39-79 y old), and the median follow-up was 12.6 y (range: 0-16 y). Positive associations across all quintiles of vitamin C intake but not plasma status were significant for VOS in men (β = 2.47 m/s, P = 0.008) and BUA in women (β = 0.82 dB/MHz, P = 0.004). Vitamin C intake was not associated with fracture risk, but there was an inverse association with plasma concentrations in men, with quintile 4 having significantly lower risks of hip fractures (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.80) and spine fractures (HR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.69) than quintile 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher vitamin C intake was significantly associated with higher heel ultrasound measures in men and women, and higher plasma vitamin C concentrations were significantly associated with reduced fracture risk in men only. Our findings that vitamin C intake and status were inconsistently associated with bone health variables suggest that additional research is warranted.

Environmental factors in the relapse and recurrence of inflammatory bowel disease: a review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

The causes of relapse in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are largely unknown. This paper reviews the epidemiological and clinical data on how medications (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogens and antibiotics), lifestyle factors (smoking, psychological stress, diet and air pollution) may precipitate clinical relapses and recurrence. Potential biological mechanisms include: increasing thrombotic tendency, imbalances in prostaglandin synthesis, alterations in the composition of gut microbiota, and mucosal damage causing increased permeability.

RESULTS

The clinical epidemiological data consistently reports positive associations between smoking and relapses in CD, and inverse ones with UC. For NSAIDs and estrogens, the epidemiological findings are inconsistent, although general antibiotic use was associated with a reduced risk of relapse in CD. High levels of stress were positively associated with relapse, although psychological interventions did not have therapeutic benefits. The limited work on diet has reported sulphur-containing foods are positively associated with relapse in UC, but there is no work in CD. Ecological data reported positive correlations between air pollution levels and IBD hospitalisations.

CONCLUSIONS

In the future, to clarify this area, more clinical epidemiological work is required where detailed drug types and doses, and complete dietary intakes are measured, in specific forms of IBD. Such work could provide guidance to both patients and doctors to help maintain remission.

Strategy for prevention of cancers of the esophagus

The following, from the 12th OESO World Conference: Cancers of the Esophagus, includes commentaries on the animal reflux-inflammation models for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma; genomic/epigenomic analyses; eflornithine-based combinations; the molecular derangements that promote neoplastic transformation; the role of COX-2 inhibitors, proton pump inhibitors, and phase II trials in Barrett's adenocarcinoma; statins in chemoprevention and treatment of esophageal cancer; and biomarkers as potential targets in Barrett's adenocarcinoma.

Diverticular disease in younger patients--is it clinically more complicated and related to obesity?

AIM

The aims of this systematic review were to determine the presentations of diverticular disease in patients under 40 years of age and to assess whether obesity is an important factor.

METHOD

The PubMed and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify all original articles published between 1990 and 2011 on diverticular disease severity in obese patients (body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m(2) ) under 40 years of age.

RESULTS

Twenty-three clinical case series (two of which were prospective) were identified plus two large aetiological population-based studies. These reported that young patients with diverticular disease were presenting more frequently, that diverticular disease in this age group was less likely to be complicated but that emergency operation rates were higher. The majority (63.1-96.5%) of patients under 40 years of age with diverticular disease were obese.

CONCLUSION

The studies suggest that in the young, obese patient with lower abdominal pain, diverticulitis and appendicitis are included in the differential diagnosis. CT and/or laparoscopy should be considered where the diagnosis is in doubt.