Dietary Intake of Soy Products, Vegetables, and Dairy Products and Gastric Cancer Survival according to Histological Subtype: a Long-term Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Purpose Owing to differences in the general characteristics of gastric cancer (GC) according to histological type, the association of GC risk factors, such as diet, may also differ depending on the histological type. We investigated the associations between individual and combined intake of soy products, vegetables, and dairy products and GC mortality by following up cases of death among Korean GC cases and whether these associations differ according to the histological type.

Materials and Methods A total of 508 GC cases were enrolled from two hospitals between 2002 and 2006. Their survival or death was prospectively followed up until December 31, 2016, through a review of medical records and telephonic surveys. Finally, 300 GC cases classified as intestinal- or diffuse-type GC cases were included. The median follow-up period was 7.1 years.

Results In the fully adjusted model, a high intake of soy products (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19–0.96) and the combination of soy products and vegetables (HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12–0.96) or soy products and dairy products (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14–0.98) decreased the mortality from intestinal-type GC. In particular, patients consuming various potentially protective foods (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.06–0.83) showed a highly significant association with a lower mortality from intestinal-type GC. However, no significant association was found with diffuse-type GC.

Conclusions High intake of potentially protective foods, including soy products, vegetables, and dairy products, may help increase survival in intestinal-type GC.