Association of the consumption of milk and dairy products with mortality from digestive organs cancers in Serbia: an ecological study

Objectives: In recent years, there have been more than 6000 digestive cancer deaths (about 2500 males and 3500 females) in Serbia every year. The aim was to assess the relationship between per capita consumption of milk and dairy products and mortality rates for digestive organs cancers.

Materials and methods: In this ecological study, data on both mortality rates (the age-standardized mortality rates were calculated by direct standardization, using the World Standard Population for cancer of esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum and anus, liver and pancreas) and the per capita consumption of milk and dairy products was obtained from official data-collection sources. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to determine the β coefficient (with 95% CIs), in order to assess the strength of the associations between consumption of milk and dairy products and mortality from digestive organs cancers.

Results: The milk consumption was significantly independently positively associated with esophageal cancer mortality rates in men (β=+0.042, 95% CI=0.003-0.081, p=0.038). In women, a significant independent positive association was observed between the consumption of milk and mortality rates from stomach cancer (β=+0.072, 95% CI=0.034-0.111, p=0.002). In contrast, per capita consumption of yogurt, cheese and other dairy products was not independently correlated with mortality from either of the other digestive organs cancers.

Conclusion: Consumption of dairy products is of potential importance for mortality of digestive cancers. Further epidemiological analytical studies are needed to investigate a possible causative association.