Vegetable and fruit consumption in relation to prostate cancer risk in Hawaii: a reevaluation of the effect of dietary beta-carotene

This is a further analysis of a case-control study of 452 prostate cancer cases and 899 population controls that was conducted in 1970-1983 among the multiethnic population of Hawaii. Because a previous analysis had shown a positive association with intake of beta-carotene, a nutrient presently being tested for chemoprevention, the authors reexamined the data for consistency among the main food sources of beta-carotene. Vegetables and fruits containing other phytochemicals suspected to be cancer inhibitors were also examined. With the exception of papaya, which was positively associated with risk among men aged 70 years and older, consumption of other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, tomatoes, dark green vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables was not associated with prostate cancer risk. These results suggest that: 1) the positive association with beta-carotene intake among older men that the authors previously reported was essentially due to the greater papaya consumption of cases compared with controls; and 2) intake of beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, indoles, phenols, or other phytochemicals is not associated with prostate cancer risk.