Sushi May Lower Lung Cancer Risk

AICHI, Japan--Sushi may be good not only for the waist line, but also for lung health. In the May British Journal of Cancer (84, 9:1199-1206, 2001), researchers from the Cancer Center Research Institute and Cancer Center Hospital here reported that consuming raw or cooked fish may lower the incidence of certain types of lung cancer.

In a hospital-based, case-controlled study, 748 males and 297 females with adenocarcinomas (cancer originating in glandular tissue), squamous (thin) cell and small cell carcinomas were compared to approximately 4,000 cancer-free patients. Researchers found that for those patients who consumed raw or cooked fish in the highest quartiles had a decreased risk for these cancers. In addition, soybean curd consumption was linked to a decreased risk for adenocarcinomas in women; high consumption of fruit, milk, and raw and green vegetables led to a decreased rate for squamous cell and small cell carcinomas in men. Interestingly, consuming high levels of carrots, pumpkins, eggs and coffee contributed to an increased rate for certain cancers in male patients. The study's lead author, Toshiro Takezaki, stated that this evidence supports previous cancer statistics: even though the Japanese smoke as much as those in the United Kingdom (where sushi consumption is not as high), the Japan's lung cancer rate is 30-percent less.

To read the study's abstract, visit www.bjcancer.com.