Adherence to Data-Driven Dietary Patterns and Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

The effect of dietary patterns on lung cancer risk is currently debated. In this study, we evaluated the association between different a posteriori dietary patterns and lung cancer risk. The search was carried out (February 2023) through Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. Meta-analysis was performed by a random-effects model using risk values (RR and OR) extracted from the 12 selected studies. Two main dietary patterns were identified and named Western/meat and Healthy/prudent. The highest adherence to the Western/meat dietary pattern significantly increased the lung cancer risk (OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.17-1.65; p = 0.0002) while the highest adherence to the Healthy/prudent pattern reduced it (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.51-0.83; p = 0.001). A linear trend between both dietary patterns and lung cancer risk was observed. However, a statistically significant inverse dose-response trend was found only for the Healthy/prudent dietary pattern (regression coefficient = -0.0031, p = 0.003). Subgroup analyses showed that the Western/meat pattern significantly increased the lung cancer risk in former (n = 4) (OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.11-3.36) and current smokers (n = 7) (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.71). Similarly, the Healthy/prudent pattern exerts a protective effect on former (n = 4) (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.44-0.85) and current smokers (n = 8) (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46-0.88). For both dietary patterns, no significant effect was observed on never-smokers.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the association between different dietary patterns and lung cancer risk and finds that high adherence to the Western/meat dietary pattern significantly increases lung cancer risk, while high adherence to the Healthy/prudent dietary pattern reduces it. Both dietary patterns show a linear trend with lung cancer risk, but only the Healthy/prudent pattern has a significant inverse dose-response relationship.