NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A large new study has found no link between eating patterns and colorectal cancer risk, suggesting that keeping one's weight down with exercise may be the best way to prevent this type of cancer, the study's lead author told Reuters Health.

Dr. Paul Terry of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and colleagues analyzed eating patterns and the development of colorectal cancer in 61,463 Swedish women. During the 10-year follow-up period, 460 of the women developed colorectal cancer.

The researchers found no significant association between colorectal cancer risk and three major dietary patterns. Namely, a ``healthy'' diet with high intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry, whole-grain breads and low-fat diary products; a ``Western'' diet including processed and red meats, soda, sweets, refined breads and high-fat dairy products; and a ``drinker'' diet, reflecting the intake of alcohol.

The findings, published in the December 15th issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, do suggest that eating ``low amounts'' of foods considered ``healthy'' might be associated with a higher risk of colon and rectal cancer, while a healthy diet may be protective among younger women.

Terry and colleagues acknowledge that research on this topic has yielded conflicting results. ``Perhaps it is that the association between diet and colorectal cancer risk is complex and that there are no easy answers here,'' Terry told Reuters Health.

``People seeking to lower their risk might hear a news report that 'a healthy diet' will lower the risk or that a 'modern diet' will increase the risk. Our data don't confirm either of these statements,'' he explained.

``The fact that colorectal cancer risk can vary up to 20-fold across geographical regions strongly suggests that environmental factors are important,'' he added, ``but which environmental factors?''

Additional studies, preferably ones structured similarly to this one, on the role of overall eating patterns in predicting colorectal cancer risk are clearly needed, Terry's team concludes.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology 2001;154:1143-1149.

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