Purpose. To evaluate the association between the intake of specific fibers with prebiotic activity, namely inulin-type fructans
(ITFs), fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and galactooligosaccharides (GOSs), and colorectal cancer risk.
Methods. Within the PrebiotiCa study, we used data from a multicentric case–control study conducted in Italy and including
1953 incident, histologically confirmed, colorectal cancer patients and 4154 hospital controls. The amount of six prebiotic
molecules [ITFs, nystose (FOS), kestose (FOS), 1F-β-fructofuranosylnystose (FOS), raffinose (GOS) and stachyose (GOS)]
in a variety of foods was quantified via laboratory analyses. Subjects’ prebiotic fiber intake was estimated by multiplying food
frequency questionnaire intake by the prebiotic content of each food item. The odds ratios (OR) of colorectal cancer for quintiles
of intakes were derived from logistic regression models including terms for major confounders and total energy intake.
Results. GOSs intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. The OR for the highest versus the lowest quintile
of intake were 0.73 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.58–0.92) for raffinose and 0.64 (95% CI 0.53–0.77) for stachyose, with
significant inverse trends across quintiles. No association was found with total ITFs and FOSs. The association with stachyose
was stronger for colon (continuous OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.66–0.83) than rectal cancer (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.79–1.02).
Conclusion. Colorectal cancer risk was inversely associated with the intake of dietary GOSs, but not ITFs and FOSs.
