Dietary Patterns and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies

Previous literature reviews summarized the associations between individual foods or food groups and lung cancer risk, but the relationship between dietary patterns and lung cancer risk has received less attention. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of observational studies on the associations between dietary patterns and lung cancer risk.

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to February 2023. Random-effects models were used to pool relative risks (RR) on associations with at least two studies. Twelve studies reported on data-driven dietary patterns, and 17 studies reported on a priori dietary patterns. A prudent dietary pattern (high in vegetables, fruit, fish, and white meat) tended to be associated with a lower risk of lung cancer (RR = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–1.01, n = 5). In contrast, Western dietary patterns, characterized by higher intakes of refined grains and red and processed meat, were significantly positively associated with lung cancer (RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.08–1.60, n = 6). Healthy dietary scores were consistently associated with a lower risk of lung cancer (Healthy Eating Index [HEI]: RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.80–0.95, n = 4; Alternate HEI: RR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81–0.95, n = 4; Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension: RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.77–0.98, n = 4; Mediterranean diet: RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81–0.93, n = 10) while the dietary inflammatory index was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer (RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.07–1.22, n = 6).

Our systematic review indicates dietary patterns characterized by a higher intake of vegetables and fruits, a lower intake of animal products, and anti-inflammation may be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer.