Preserved foods in relation to risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Shanghai, China.

A surge in the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer is associated with generous intake of preserved foods.

This study investigated the relationship between the consumption of preserved foods and orange/tangerine and the odds of developing nasopharyngeal cancer. Researchers analyzed the dietary data of 1,937 subjects and estimated the nasopharyngeal cancer risk of each participant in this study.

The team of investigators discovered that subjects with high dietary ingestion of salted fish (one serving per week) and protein-containing preserved foods had 80% and 78% higher risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer than those who rarely consumed or totally avoid these foods. On the other hand, habitual consumption of oranges/tangerines was found to decrease the odds of developing nasopharyngeal cancer. In addition, subjects with high intake of preserved foods and low intake of oranges/tangerines experienced a 3-fold increase in nasopharyngeal cancer risk compared to those in the highest quartile of orange/tangerine and lowest quartile of preserved food consumption. The results of this study show that individuals who regularly eat large servings of oranges/tangerines are less likely to develop nasopharyngeal cancer.