Dairy Intake Linked to Cancer, Study Says

Men consuming dairy-rich diets might face increased risk of suffering prostate cancer.

The finding, presented at the American Assn. for Cancer Research's annual meeting Tuesday, indicates that a "moderate elevation" in prostate cancer risk is linked to ingesting "higher intakes" of dairy products and dairy calcium.

In addition, males drinking more than six glasses of milk weekly experienced lower levels of the "potentially protective" form of vitamin D vs. men drinking less than two glass a week.

"For men concerned about prostate cancer, the study suggests a little caution, but it's far too early to recommend any extreme change in eating habits," said June Chan from the Harvard School of Public Health's department of epidemiology.

"More research is needed to confirm these findings, and to clarify the underlying biological mechanisms, such as where in the disease process the calcium may be acting," she said. "Some data suggest that calcium may play a role in progression from local to metastatic disease."

Harvard researchers as well as scientists from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital for 11 years studied 20,885 men of which 1,012 developed prostate cancer. Subjects were queried at the study's onset on their consumption of five dairy products, including milk, cheese and ice cream.

Researchers indicated that the study has limitations, including the fact that the questionnaires didn't assess subjects' total dietary intake and that the possible presence of calcium supplements wasn't determined.

"Scientists still have an incomplete understanding of all the risk factors involved in development of prostate cancer and how they interact," AACR officials said.

Edited by Gerry Clark