Dietary patterns and upper aerodigestive tract cancers: an overview and review.

BACKGROUND The relationship between diet and cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) has been investigated through dietary patterns. DESIGN Published studies on the relationship between a priori and a posteriori dietary patterns and UADT cancers were selected through a Medline search. RESULTS Twenty-four case-control studies were identified. Most of them identified a posteriori dietary patterns, mainly using principal component factor analysis, and a few used a priori dietary patterns, based on the available evidence on known effects of dietary habits on UADT cancers. In one study, no association was found between the identified patterns and UADT cancers. All the remaining 23 papers reported at least one favorable or unfavorable dietary pattern related to UADT cancers. The most consistent findings are the beneficial role of a dietary pattern based on fruit and vegetables or nutrients mostly contained in such foods, and the unfavorable role of an alcohol drinker pattern. A possible unfavorable role of patterns based on meats and animal products emerged as well. CONCLUSION The consistency of results among populations indicates that diets rich in fruit and vegetables, and poor in alcohol and animal products are favorable for UADT cancers.