American Association for Cancer Research

Table 4.

Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for incident cancer and distribution of incident cancer cases (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and corresponding person-time, by sex and sex-specific quintile of intake of vegetables (including legumes) and fruits; data from 25,623 adults of the Greek component of the EPIC study

	Sex-specific quintiles of the corresponding variable						Ordered quintiles
		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Ordered quintiles
	Men (n = 10,582)
Vegetables*
Quintile median	344	464	555	656	855
Person-time	14,976	15,130	15,237	15,065	15,653
Incident cancers	94	95	82	76	74
HR (95% CI)	1	1.11 (0.83-1.49)	0.99 (0.72-1.36)	0.92 (0.66-1.29)	0.98 (0.68-1.41)	0.98 (0.90-1.06)
Fruits
Quintile median	147	256	335	428	595
Person-time	14,871	15,181	15,267	15,294	15,448
Incident cancers	100	87	68	87	79
HR (95% CI)	1	0.83 (0.62-1.12)	0.67 (0.49-0.92)	0.83 (0.61-1.14)	0.86 (0.61-1.19)	0.97 (0.89-1.04)
	Women (n = 15,041)
Vegetables*
Quintile median	301	414	502	607	801
Person-time	21,928	22,345	22,374	22,490	22,843
Incident cancers	110	77	91	76	76
HR (95% CI)	1	0.70 (0.52-0.94)	0.85 (0.63-1.14)	0.69 (0.49-0.95)	0.64 (0.44-0.93)	0.91 (0.84-0.99)
Fruits
Quintile median	150	256	335	423	588
Person-time	22,006	22,118	22,380	22,534	22,942
Incident cancers	98	90	79	75	88
HR (95% CI)	1	0.93 (0.70-1.24)	0.83 (0.61-1.13)	0.80 (0.58-1.10)	0.95 (0.69-1.32)	0.97 (0.90-1.05)
	Overall (n = 25,623)
Vegetables*
Person-time	36,904	37,475	37,611	37,555	38,496
Incident cancers	204	172	173	152	150
HR (95% CI)	1	0.90 (0.73-1.11)	0.93 (0.75-1.16)	0.82 (0.65-1.04)	0.83 (0.64-1.07)	0.96 (0.90-1.01)
Fruits
Person-time	36,877	37,299	37,647	37,828	38,390
Incident cancers	198	177	147	162	167
HR (95% CI)	1	0.89 (0.73-1.10)	0.76 (0.61-0.95)	0.85 (0.68-1.05)	0.93 (0.74-1.18)	0.98 (0.93-1.03)

	Sex-specific quintiles of the corresponding variable						Ordered quintiles
		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Ordered quintiles
	Men (n = 10,582)
Vegetables*
Quintile median	344	464	555	656	855
Person-time	14,976	15,130	15,237	15,065	15,653
Incident cancers	94	95	82	76	74
HR (95% CI)	1	1.11 (0.83-1.49)	0.99 (0.72-1.36)	0.92 (0.66-1.29)	0.98 (0.68-1.41)	0.98 (0.90-1.06)
Fruits
Quintile median	147	256	335	428	595
Person-time	14,871	15,181	15,267	15,294	15,448
Incident cancers	100	87	68	87	79
HR (95% CI)	1	0.83 (0.62-1.12)	0.67 (0.49-0.92)	0.83 (0.61-1.14)	0.86 (0.61-1.19)	0.97 (0.89-1.04)
	Women (n = 15,041)
Vegetables*
Quintile median	301	414	502	607	801
Person-time	21,928	22,345	22,374	22,490	22,843
Incident cancers	110	77	91	76	76
HR (95% CI)	1	0.70 (0.52-0.94)	0.85 (0.63-1.14)	0.69 (0.49-0.95)	0.64 (0.44-0.93)	0.91 (0.84-0.99)
Fruits
Quintile median	150	256	335	423	588
Person-time	22,006	22,118	22,380	22,534	22,942
Incident cancers	98	90	79	75	88
HR (95% CI)	1	0.93 (0.70-1.24)	0.83 (0.61-1.13)	0.80 (0.58-1.10)	0.95 (0.69-1.32)	0.97 (0.90-1.05)
	Overall (n = 25,623)
Vegetables*
Person-time	36,904	37,475	37,611	37,555	38,496
Incident cancers	204	172	173	152	150
HR (95% CI)	1	0.90 (0.73-1.11)	0.93 (0.75-1.16)	0.82 (0.65-1.04)	0.83 (0.64-1.07)	0.96 (0.90-1.01)
Fruits
Person-time	36,877	37,299	37,647	37,828	38,390
Incident cancers	198	177	147	162	167
HR (95% CI)	1	0.89 (0.73-1.10)	0.76 (0.61-0.95)	0.85 (0.68-1.05)	0.93 (0.74-1.18)	0.98 (0.93-1.03)

NOTE: Data were adjusted for age (<35, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and >65 y; categorically), formal education (≤5, 6-11, 12, and ≥13 y; categorically), smoking status (never smoker, former smoker, and five categories of current smoker: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, and ≥41 cigarettes/d; ordered), body mass index (in ordered quintiles), height (in ordered quintiles), physical activity expressed in MET-hours per day (in ordered quintiles), alcohol intake (per 10 g/d; continuously), supplement intake (no, yes), and total daily energy intake (in ordered quintiles). For both genders overall stratified by sex. Fruits and vegetables are mutually adjusted for.

Abbreviations: HR, hazard ratio; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval.

Legumes are included.

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