Abstract C047: Diet and risk of cancer in minority populations in New York City

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and it disproportionally affects minority populations. Poor dietary habits, such as diet low in fruits and vegetables, increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Moreover, socioeconomic factors contribute to limited access to fresh and healthy foods and limited opportunities for safe physical activity, leading to poor physical health. In this interdisciplinary study, we aim to investigate any relationships between dietary behaviors and cancer risk in adults aged 50 years and above. We are recruiting participants at a senior center in East Harlem, New York City, a racially diverse and underserved community. The participants complete a NIH-validated survey through which we assess their dietary habits and collect standardized demographic data and history of cancer. Urine samples from participants are analyzed for polyphenols, commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Quantification of polyphenol content in urine is determined by a standard curve based on the concentration of gallic acid, a stable and convenient chemical that is representative of polyphenols from fruits and vegetables. So far, analysis of urine from a cohort of diverse participants (n=15) has been performed. The range of gallic acid concentration obtained was 3.85-17.14 μg/mL. We observed the lowest gallic acid concentration in a participant with history of cancer, suggesting low level of polyphenol content in their urine. Ongoing work includes further recruitment of participants and an intervention consisting of active nutritional education (cooking classes, workshops, etc.). A control group that will not receive this educational intervention will be provided with brochures through mail informing them about general health information. At the end of the intervention period, urine will be collected and analyzed to assess the impact of nutritional education on dietary habits in underserved and minority communities.

Citation Format: Cristina N. Zambrano, Maayan Beeber, April Panitz, Yin Tan, Grace Ma, Khursheed Navder, Ming-Chin Yeh, Olorunseun Ogunwobi. Diet and risk of cancer in minority populations in New York City [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C047.