| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
1 Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University; 2 Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; and 3 Rowett Research Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Requests for reprints: Joel B. Mason, Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111. Phone: 617-556-3194; Fax: 617-556-3234. E-mail: joel.mason{at}tufts.edu
Nationwide fortification of enriched uncooked cereal grains with folic acid began in the United States and Canada in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and became mandatory in 1998. The rationale was to reduce the number of births complicated by neural tube defects. Concurrently, the United States and Canada experienced abrupt reversals of the downward trend in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence that the two countries had enjoyed in the preceding decade: absolute rates of CRC began to increase in 1996 (United States) and 1998 (Canada), peaked in 1998 (United States) and 2000 (Canada), and have continued to exceed the pre-1996/1997 trends by 4 to 6 additional cases per 100,000 individuals. In each country, the increase in CRC incidence from the prefortification trend falls significantly outside of the downward linear fit based on nonparametric 95% confidence intervals. The statistically significant increase in rates is also evident when the data for each country are analyzed separately for men and women. Changes in the rate of colorectal endoscopic procedures do not seem to account for this increase in CRC incidence. These observations alone do not prove causality but are consistent with the known effects of folate on existing neoplasms, as shown in both preclinical and clinical studies. We therefore hypothesize that the institution of folic acid fortification may have been wholly or partly responsible for the observed increase in CRC rates in the mid-1990s. Further work is needed to definitively establish the nature of this relationship. In the meantime, deliberations about the institution or enhancement of fortification programs should be undertaken with these considerations in mind. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(7):1325–9)
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Aufreiter, J. F Gregory III, C. M Pfeiffer, Z. Fazili, Y.-I. Kim, N. Marcon, P. Kamalaporn, P. B Pencharz, and D. L O'Connor Folate is absorbed across the colon of adults: evidence from cecal infusion of 13C-labeled [6S]-5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2009; 90(1): 116 - 123. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A K Lawrance, L Deng, and R Rozen Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency and low dietary folate reduce tumorigenesis in Apcmin/+ mice Gut, June 1, 2009; 58(6): 805 - 811. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Q. Yang, R. M. Bostick, J.M. Friedman, and W. D. Flanders Serum Folate and Cancer Mortality Among U.S. Adults: Findings from the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey Linked Mortality File Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2009; 18(5): 1439 - 1447. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. E Ohrvik, J. C Olsson, B. E Sundberg, and C. M Witthoft Effect of 2 pieces of nutritional advice on folate status in Swedish women: a randomized controlled trial Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2009; 89(4): 1053 - 1058. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Green Is it time for vitamin B-12 fortification? What are the questions? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2009; 89(2): 712S - 716S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. de Vogel, V. Dindore, M. van Engeland, R. A. Goldbohm, P. A. van den Brandt, and M. P. Weijenberg Dietary Folate, Methionine, Riboflavin, and Vitamin B-6 and Risk of Sporadic Colorectal Cancer J. Nutr., December 1, 2008; 138(12): 2372 - 2378. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. S. Guerreiro, B. Carmona, S. Goncalves, E. Carolino, P. Fidalgo, M. Brito, C. N. Leitao, and M. Cravo Risk of colorectal cancer associated with the C677T polymorphism in 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in Portuguese patients depends on the intake of methyl-donor nutrients Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2008; 88(5): 1413 - 1418. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. J. Weinstein, D. Albanes, J. Selhub, B. Graubard, U. Lim, P. R. Taylor, J. Virtamo, and R. Stolzenberg-Solomon One-Carbon Metabolism Biomarkers and Risk of Colon and Rectal Cancers Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2008; 17(11): 3233 - 3240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. DeVos, A. Chanson, Z. Liu, E. D Ciappio, L. D Parnell, J. B Mason, K. L Tucker, and J. W Crott Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in folate uptake and metabolizing genes with blood folate, homocysteine, and DNA uracil concentrations Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2008; 88(4): 1149 - 1158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. C. Figueiredo, A. J. Levine, M. V. Grau, E. L. Barry, P. M. Ueland, D. J. Ahnen, T. Byers, R. S. Bresalier, R. W. Summers, J. Bond, et al. Colorectal Adenomas in a Randomized Folate Trial: The Role of Baseline Dietary and Circulating Folate Levels Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., October 1, 2008; 17(10): 2625 - 2631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. D Kalmbach, S. F Choumenkovitch, A. M Troen, R. D'Agostino, P. F Jacques, and J. Selhub Circulating folic acid in plasma: relation to folic acid fortification Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2008; 88(3): 763 - 768. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y.-I. Kim Folic Acid Supplementation and Cancer Risk: Point Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2008; 17(9): 2220 - 2225. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. M. Ulrich Folate and Cancer Prevention--Where to Next? Counterpoint Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2008; 17(9): 2226 - 2230. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Ebbing, O. Bleie, P. M. Ueland, J. E. Nordrehaug, D. W. Nilsen, S. E. Vollset, H. Refsum, E. K. Ringdal Pedersen, and O. Nygard Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Patients Treated With Homocysteine-Lowering B Vitamins After Coronary Angiography: A Randomized Controlled Trial JAMA, August 20, 2008; 300(7): 795 - 804. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Refsum and A D. Smith Are we ready for mandatory fortification with vitamin B-12? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 253 - 254. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. M Winkels, I. A Brouwer, R. Clarke, M. B Katan, and P. Verhoef Bread cofortified with folic acid and vitamin B-12 improves the folate and vitamin B-12 status of healthy older people: a randomized controlled trial Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 348 - 355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Hao, Q.-H. Yang, Z. Li, L. B Bailey, J.-H. Zhu, D. J Hu, B.-L. Zhang, J D. Erickson, L. Zhang, J. Gindler, et al. Folate status and homocysteine response to folic acid doses and withdrawal among young Chinese women in a large-scale randomized double-blind trial Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 448 - 457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A D. Smith and H. Refsum Reply to E Baggott and SL Morgan Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 480 - 480. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Nguyen, R. Grajeda, P. Melgar, J. Marcinkevage, R. Flores, and R. Martorell Weekly May Be as Efficacious as Daily Folic Acid Supplementation in Improving Folate Status and Lowering Serum Homocysteine Concentrations in Guatemalan Women J. Nutr., August 1, 2008; 138(8): 1491 - 1498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. M. Wolpin, E. K. Wei, K. Ng, J. A. Meyerhardt, J. A. Chan, J. Selhub, E. L. Giovannucci, and C. S. Fuchs Prediagnostic Plasma Folate and the Risk of Death in Patients With Colorectal Cancer J. Clin. Oncol., July 1, 2008; 26(19): 3222 - 3228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. G. Luebeck, S. H. Moolgavkar, A. Y. Liu, A. Boynton, and C. M. Ulrich Does Folic Acid Supplementation Prevent or Promote Colorectal Cancer? Results from Model-Based Predictions Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2008; 17(6): 1360 - 1367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A D. Smith, Y.-I. Kim, and H. Refsum Is folic acid good for everyone? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2008; 87(3): 517 - 533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Wang, A. J. Sasco, C. Fu, H. Xue, G. Guo, Z. Hua, Q. Zhou, Q. Jiang, and B. Xu Aberrant DNA Methylation of P16, MGMT, and hMLH1 Genes in Combination with MTHFR C677T Genetic Polymorphism in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2008; 17(1): 118 - 125. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. P Quinlivan and J. F Gregory III Reassessing folic acid consumption patterns in the United States (1999 2004): potential effect on neural tube defects and overexposure to folate Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2007; 86(6): 1773 - 1779. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Cancer Research | Clinical Cancer Research |
| Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention | Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |
| Molecular Cancer Research | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Cancer Prevention Journals Portal | Cancer Reviews Online |
| Annual Meeting Education Book | Meeting Abstracts Online |
