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Evidence summaries

Dietary Fibre for the Prevention of Colorectal Adenomas and Carcinomas

Dietary fibre may not be effective in the prevention of colorectal adenomas and carcinomas in the very short term (2 to 4 years follow up). Level of evidence: "C"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 7 studies of which five studies with 4798 participants provided data for analyses in this review. The interventions were wheat bran fibre, ispaghula husk, or a comprehensive dietary intervention with high fibre whole food sources alone or in combination. When the data were combined there was no difference between the intervention and control groups for the number of subjects with at least one adenoma, RR 1.04 (95% CI 0.95 to1.13). As well, the combined results for the number of subjects with more than one adenoma,RR 1.06 (95% CI 0.94 to1.20) or at least one adenoma 1 cm or greater RR 0.99 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.20) were not statistically significant. Other primary and secondary outcomes and subanalyses by type of fibre intervention were not statistically or clinically significant.

Comment: The quality is downgraded by study limitations and indirectness of evidence (the follow-up was short for cancers to develop).

References

  • Yao Y, Suo T, Andersson R et al. Dietary fibre for the prevention of recurrent colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017;(1):CD003430. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords