Ai-Jing Luo1, Fu-Zhi Wang2, Dan Luo3, De-Hua Hu4, Ping Mao5, Wen-Zhao Xie1, Xiao-Feng He6, Wei Kan7, Yun Wang6. 1. The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, China. 2. School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Medicine Management, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China. Electronic address: bengbu_wangfuzhi@126.com. 3. Department of Medicine Management, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China. 4. Key Laboratory of Medical Information Research (Central South University), College of Hunan Province, Changsha, China; Department of Medical Information, Center South University, Changsha, China. 5. The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China. 6. School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China. 7. School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China; School of Public Management, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: We conducted a meta-analysis of all published case-control and cohort studies to evaluate the relationship between vegetables intake and liver cancer risk. METHODS: We searched for cohort and case-control studies published before February 2014, using Pubmed and Cochrane Library Central database. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the inverse-variance method. RESULTS: Eight case-control studies and one cohort study were included in this meta-analysis, involving a total of 136,425 subjects and 1349 liver cancer cases. Finally, we observed a statistically significant protective effect of vegetables consumption on liver cancer (RR=0.78, 95% CI [0.62, 0.99]). In the present meta-analysis, no publication bias was observed among studies using Begg's P value (P=0.532); Egger's (P=0.180) test, which suggested there was no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vegetables consumption may reduce the risk of liver cancer. More prospective cohort studies with larger sample size, well-controlled confounding factors are warranted to further evaluate the association.
PURPOSE: We conducted a meta-analysis of all published case-control and cohort studies to evaluate the relationship between vegetables intake and liver cancer risk. METHODS: We searched for cohort and case-control studies published before February 2014, using Pubmed and Cochrane Library Central database. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the inverse-variance method. RESULTS: Eight case-control studies and one cohort study were included in this meta-analysis, involving a total of 136,425 subjects and 1349 liver cancer cases. Finally, we observed a statistically significant protective effect of vegetables consumption on liver cancer (RR=0.78, 95% CI [0.62, 0.99]). In the present meta-analysis, no publication bias was observed among studies using Begg's P value (P=0.532); Egger's (P=0.180) test, which suggested there was no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vegetables consumption may reduce the risk of liver cancer. More prospective cohort studies with larger sample size, well-controlled confounding factors are warranted to further evaluate the association.