Denmark

Danish Cancer Society Research Centre
Copenhagen, Denmark
Website

or Epidemiology, Department of Public Health
Aarhus University, Denmark
Website

Background

The Diet, Cancer and Health study is a Danish prospective cohort study aimed at investigating the associations between dietary habits, lifestyle, and cancer development. The participants were recruited in 1993–1997. A total of about 160 725 individuals were invited by mail, and 57 053 were enrolled into the study cohort. Potential participants were men and women born in Denmark, living in the greater Copenhagen or Aarhus areas, aged 50–64 years, and with no previous cancer diagnosis. At enrolment, information on usual diet and on lifestyle was obtained using self-administered questionnaires. Further, body composition was described in detail, and biological samples, including blood and urine, were collected and stored at − 150 °C. This study became affiliated with EPIC in 1996.

Follow-up

Active follow-up was accomplished until 2001 and 2002 by sending out postal questionnaires that included questions on diet, lifestyle, self-rated health, and social network. Questions were also asked about diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A total of 45 271 people (79.35%) completed the questionnaire. By July 2013, a total of 4110 men and 5886 women had died after entry into the EPIC study. At the end of 2016, cancers had been diagnosed in 7825 men and 7050 women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers).


Scientists

Copenhagen


Aarhus

Funding 

Financial support is provided by:

  • Danish Cancer Society

 

Research Activities

Copenhagen

  • Studies on diet in relation to cancer. The most important fields are alcohol, fruit and vegetables, meat/fish, and wholegrain products. In addition, studies on macronutrients (fat and specific fatty acids, protein, and carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and risk of cancer are carried out, including the influence and interaction of dietary supplements. Another focus area is the association between intake of phytoestrogens and risk of cancer.
  • Studies on overweight/waist circumference in relation to cancer, including the relationship between diet and subsequent development of overweight/obesity and waist circumference.
  • Studies on physical activity in relation to cancer. The main focus is physical activity in relation to cancers of the breast, colorectum, and prostate.
  • Survival and prognosis and cancer. The Copenhagen centre has initiated a new follow-up study, in which women in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort who are diagnosed with incident breast cancer are contacted and information is gathered about diet and lifestyle after diagnosis, through questionnaires. The women are followed up for risk of relapse and death.
  • Wholegrain – Nordic diet. Coordination of the HELGA project, a Nordic project with the primary aim to increase knowledge of health effects of wholegrain foods.
  • Diet, Cancer and Health – Next Generations
    In 2015–2018 a new data set, including the children and the grandchildren of the original cohort, was collected, including 42 000 participants. Among the biological material, this cohort has provided saliva (approximately all) and gut microbiota samples (n = 23 000), giving unique possibilities to explore disease associations including gut microbiota in a prospective design.


Aarhus

  • Investigating associations between diet and development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes using substitution models.
  • Investigating associations between changes in diet and alcohol consumption with subsequent risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
  • Sustainable diets and health.
  • Overweight – causes and implications.