Association between pre-diagnostic dietary antioxidant vitamin consumption and ovarian cancer survival: a prospective cohort study

Food Funct. 2023 Jan 23;14(2):911-920. doi: 10.1039/d2fo03213a.

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological evidence regarding the relationship between dietary antioxidant vitamin intake and ovarian cancer (OC) survival is not clear. Herein, we aimed to first evaluate this topic in a prospective cohort study in China. Methods: The present study included participants from the Ovarian Cancer Follow-Up Study, which was a hospital-based prospective cohort study including OC patients who were aged 18 to 79 years during 2015-2020. The information on the intake of antioxidant vitamins, consisting of vitamin A, retinol, α-carotene, β-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, and other diet information was obtained through a 111-item food frequency questionnaire. Deaths were recorded until March 31, 2021. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: There were 130 (18.49%) deaths among 703 OC patients during a median 37.19 months follow-up. In the multivariable-adjusted model, the highest tertile of dietary vitamin C (HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.25-0.75, P for trend <0.05) and β-carotene intake (HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.31-0.87, P for trend <0.05) was inversely associated with the overall survival of OC when compared with the lowest tertile group. Retinol, vitamin A, vitamin E, and α-carotene consumption showed no association with OC survival. Of note is that the multiplicative interaction was identified between vitamin C intake and residual lesions in OC survival (P for interaction <0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that pre-diagnostic higher vitamin C and β-carotene intake was associated with improved OC survival.

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants*
  • Ascorbic Acid
  • Diet
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Ovarian Neoplasms*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamins
  • beta Carotene

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Vitamins
  • alpha-carotene
  • Vitamin A
  • beta Carotene
  • Vitamin E
  • Ascorbic Acid