Associations of dietary Choline, Carnitine, and Betaine with Colorectal Cancer Risk
Principal Investigator
Name
Doratha Byrd
Degrees
Ph.D., M.P.H.
Institution
National Cancer Institute
Position Title
Postdoctoral Fellow (CRTA)
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
PLCO
(Learn more about this study)
Project ID
PLCO-506
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Aug 12, 2019
Title
Associations of dietary Choline, Carnitine, and Betaine with Colorectal Cancer Risk
Summary
The overall broad and long-term goal of this project is to investigate the association of dietary intake of choline, l-carnitine, and betaine with risk for colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States (US) among men and women combined. Choline and l-carnitine are derivatives of red meat and other animal foods, the former of which was previously associated with higher risk for CRC in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial cohort. Choline can also be oxidized to betaine, which protects cells from hyperosmotic stress and potentially reduces chronic inflammation. We would like to investigate whether dietary choline, l-carnitine, and betaine intakes are independently associated with CRC risk. To do this, we will use dietary questionnaire responses to calculate nutrient intakes by multiplying average servings per day by the nutrient content of one serving of that food. We will then use multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate risk of incident CRC (overall and by CRC site).
Aims
Specific aim: Investigate the prospective associations of dietary intakes of choline, betaine, and carnitine with risk of CRC overall and by cancer site (i.e., proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum) and pathologic aspects (i.e., histology and grade).
Collaborators
Rashmi Sinha