Dietary Fat and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer1

The relationship between the intake of dietary fat and subse quent colorectal cancer during a 15-year follow-up was investi gated in 7074 men of Japanese ancestry, 45 to 68 years old and living in Hawaii. Data on fat intake were obtained by 24-hr recall records at base-line examination. We found a statistically signif icant, negative association between colon cancer and the intake of saturated fat, whether assessed on the basis of g per day or as a percentage of the caloric intake. There was a similar association with total fat intake when expressed in terms of percentage of total calories. The strongest negative relationship was found in cancer of the right colon. In contrast, rectal cancer showed a weakly positive relationship to the intake of saturated fat when assessed on the basis of percentage of caloric intake.