Bread and cereals increase the risk of colon cancer by 69%

This study was published in the International Journal of Cancer 1997 Jul 3;72(1):56-61

Study title and authors:
Food groups and risk of colorectal cancer in Italy.

Franceschi S, Favero A, La Vecchia C, Negri E, Conti E, Montella M, Giacosa A, Nanni O, Decarli A.
Servizio di Epidemiologia, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy. franceschis@ets.it

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9212223

This study investigated the influence of various food groups on the risk of colon cancer. The dietary habits of  1,953 subjects with colon cancer and 4,154 subjects without cancer were compared.

The study found:
(a) Those with the highest consumption of eggs had an 8% decrease in colon cancer rates compared to those who ate the least amount of eggs.
(b) Those who ate the most bread and cereal had a 69% increased risk of colon cancer compared to those who ate the least bread and cereal.
(c) Those who ate the most potatoes had a 20%  increased risk of colon cancer compared to those who ate the least potatoes.

This study shows that starchy food is a high risk factor for colon cancer.