Association between dietary fatty acids pattern and incidence of oral cancer: A case-control study from Southeast China

Abstract ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between dietary fatty acid pattern and the risk of oral cancer (OC).MethodIn 446 patients with primary oral cancer and 448 controls, we assessed prediagnosis consumption of 159 food items by food frequency questionnaires completed within 1 week of diagnosis. Fatty acid patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence (CI) interval was calculated.ResultsGeneral differences of fatty acid intake were observed between case and control, intake of saturated fatty acids such as C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 are higher in case than control group (p < 0.001), intake of monounsaturated fatty acid such as C18:1 is higher in case than control group (p < 0.001). We identified a fatty acid pattern which was characterized by saturated fatty acids and it explained 33.2% of the overall variability of the 32 fatty acids. The identified fatty acid pattern scores were positively associated with a higher risk of oral cancer [multivariable-adjusted OR comparing extreme quintiles, 3.325 (95%CI: 2.222, 4.975); Ptrend<0.001].ConclusionsGeneral differences of dietary fatty acids were observed between oral cancer patients and controls. A dietary fatty acids pattern, which was mainly composed of saturated fatty acids were positively correlated with the risk of oral cancer.