Background In 2012, Gastric cancer (GC) was the 5th most common cancer in the world, with 952,000 new cases diagnosed; GC in the WHO European Region occurred in 162,000 people and caused 126,000 deaths; the highest GC incidence rates were observed in Eastern Asia (24.2 per 100,000) and Central and Eastern Europe (13.5 per 100,000). Protective role of the Mediterranean diet (MD) on health and its
... [Show full abstract] influence on reduced risk of numerous chronic diseases has been confirmed by various studies. A meta-analysis performed on observational studies, evaluating the effects of adherence to MD on overall cancer mortality and incidence of different types of cancer, showed that high adherence to MD was associated with a significant 27% reduction in risk of GC overall. However, the estimate, based on two cohort studies with contrasting results, and one case-control study, provides interesting insights but no definite conclusions. Objective To evaluate the association between adherence to MD and GC. Methods Case-control study conducted at the Fondazione Policlinico “A. Gemelli” of Rome (Italy), from 2003 to 2015. 223 incident GC patients (cases) and 223 cancer free patients (controls) interviewed. Dietary intake assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire (information on more than 25 food items). Level of adherence to the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern assessed using the MD score developed by Sofi et al. Results A higher adherence to MD is associated with a reduced risk of GC (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.61-0.81). A high consumption of vegetables (OR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14-0.85), legumes (OR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.06-0.29) and fish (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.68), as well as low consumption of meat (OR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.10-0.85) and alcohol (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.90), are consistently related to lower risk of GC. Conclusion Our study indicates a potential protective role of MD eating pattern and MD individual components against GC.