Original Articles
21 July 2025
Early Access
Risk factors for colorectal cancer in Albania: a case-control study
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
10
Views
3
Downloads
Authors
The prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased significantly in recent years in many countries worldwide, including Albania, a transitional Mediterranean country in the Western Balkans. This study aimed to identify dietary patterns among CRC Albanian patients. This was a case-control study conducted during 2011-2016, including 262 patients histologically confirmed with a diagnosis of CRC and 289 sex- and age-matched controls who were family members of patients hospitalized for acute, non-neoplastic conditions unrelated to digestive tract diseases. Structured interviews employing standardized questionnaires were administered by trained personnel. Comparisons of dietary patterns were performed using the analysis of variance test for continuous variables and the χ² test for categorical variables. A dietary model characterized by a low intake of whole-grain bread, fruits, and olive oil was encountered more frequently among CRC patients. Our study indicates that diets rich in fruits, whole-grain bread, and olive oil exert a protective role against CRC development. The findings from this study are important for promoting protective diets, especially in areas with limited medical screening facilities.
Altmetrics
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Citations
Xi Y, Xu P. Global colorectal cancer burden in 2020 and projections to 2040. Transl Oncol 2021;14:101174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101174
Bishehsari F, Mahdavinia M, Vacca M, et al. Epidemiological transition of colorectal cancer in developing countries: environmental factors, molecular pathways, and opportunities for prevention. World J Gastroenterol 2014;20:6055-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v20.i20.6055
Todorovic J, Stamenkovic Z, Stevanovic A, et al. The burden of breast, cervical, and colon and rectum cancer in the Balkan countries, 1990–2019 and forecast to 2030. Arch Public Health 2023;81:156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01137-9
Gjonça A, Bobak M. Albanian paradox, another example of protective effect of Mediterranean lifestyle? Lancet 1997;350:1815-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(97)08347-5
Wiseman M. The second World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research expert report. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Proc Nutr Soc 2008;67:253-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S002966510800712X
Domingo JL, Nadal M. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red meat and processed meat: a review of scientific news since the IARC decision. Food Chem Toxicol 2017;105:256-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.028
Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, et al. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Lancet Oncol 2015;16:1599-600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1
Farvid MS, Sidahmed E, Spence ND, et al. Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Epidemiol 2021;36:937-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-021-00741-9
Rosato V, Bosetti C, Levi F, et al. Risk factors for young-onset colorectal cancer. Cancer Causes Control 2013;24:335-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0119-3
Lescinsky H, Afshin A, Ashbaugh C, et al. Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof study. Nat Med 2022;28:2075-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01968-z
Chai X, Li Y, Yin Z, et al. Association of meat subtypes with colorectal polyp prevalence: finding from the lanxi pre-colorectal cancer cohort in China. Front Nutr 2022;9:833571. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.833571
Potera C. Red meat and colorectal cancer: exploring the potential HCA connection. Environ Health Perspect 2016;124:A189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.124-A189
Farah E, Hutchinson JM, Ruan Y, et al. The association between red meat consumption and advanced colorectal adenomas in a population undergoing a screening-related colonoscopy in Alberta, Canada. Cancers 2024;16:495. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16030495
Veettil SK, Wong TY, Loo YS, et al. Role of diet in colorectal cancer incidence: umbrella review of meta-analyses of prospective observational studies. JAMA Netw Open 2021;4:e2037341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37341
O'Keefe SJ, Li JV, Lahti L, et al. Fat, fibre and cancer risk in African Americans and rural Africans. Nature Commun 2015;6:6342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7342
McCullough ML, Robertson AS, Chao A, et al. A prospective study of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and colon cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control 2003;14:959-70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CACO.0000007983.16045.a1
van Duijnhoven FJ, Bueno-De-Mesquita HB, Ferrari P, et al. Fruit, vegetables, and colorectal cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1441-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.27120
Vogtmann E, Xiang YB, Li HL, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of colorectal cancer: results from the Shanghai Men's Health Study. Cancer Causes Control 2013;24:1935-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-013-0268-z
Park Y, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, et al. Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer: a pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies. JAMA 2005;294:2849-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.22.2849
Egeberg R, Olsen A, Loft S, et al. Intake of wholegrain products and risk of colorectal cancers in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study. Br J Cancer 2010;103:730-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6605806
Schulze MB, Schulz M, Heidemann C, et al. Fiber and magnesium intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes: a prospective study and meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:956-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.167.9.956
Hullings AG, Sinha R, Liao LM, et al. Whole grain and dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2020;112:603-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa161
Fardet A. New hypotheses for the health-protective mechanisms of whole-grain cereals: what is beyond fibre? Nutr Res Rev 2010;23:65-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422410000041
Borzì AM, Biondi A, Basile F, et al. Olive oil effects on colorectal cancer. Nutrients 2018;11:32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010032
Galeone C, Talamini R, Levi F, et al. Fried foods, olive oil and colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol 2007;18:36-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdl328
How to Cite
Risk factors for colorectal cancer in Albania: a case-control study. (2025). Italian Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2025.2007
Copyright (c) 2025 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.