Just four or more servings of green salad a week and working in the garden once or twice a week, may result in substantially reduced the risk of developing lung cancer, for smokers and nonsmokers alike, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Forman’s study looked at salad consumption and gardening because, “salad is a marker for the consumption of many vegetables and gardening is an activity in which smokers and nonsmokers can participate.”

“We are trying to understand what components of lifestyle can reduce lung cancer risk in people who have quit smoking ? which has been a neglected field of study,” said Michele Forman, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas. “Although this is a very preliminary analysis, it gives us some important clues about how everyone ? smokers and non-smokers alike ? might be able to reduce their risk of developing lung cancer.”

“This is the first risk prediction model to examine the effects of diet and physical activity on the possibility of developing lung cancer,” says Michele R. Forman, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Epidemiology. Forman presented study results at the American Association for Cancer Research “Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research” meeting Dec. 7 in Philadelphia, Pa.

“This finding is exciting because not only is it applicable to everyone, but it also may have a positive impact on the 15 percent of non-smokers who develop lung cancer,” says Forman.

The research team found that current smokers who ate three servings or less of salad a week had twice the risk of developing lung cancer, compared to current smokers who ate four or more salads weekly. The investigators also found that physical activity like gardening may reduce the risk of developing the cancer in “former-smokers” by up to 45 percent, compared to former smokers who don’t get out and garden.

“If you are worried about lung cancer risk, this study shows that you may benefit from eating a healthy diet and being physically active,” Forman said.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women, with more than 213,000 estimated new cases diagnosed each year according to the American Cancer Society. Smoking tobacco accounts for more than eight of 10 lung cancer cases.

Source
American Association for Cancer Research