OBJECTIVES:
There are many concerns about
ginseng as a
cancer chemopreventive substance, but there have been few
epidemiological studies on
ginseng. This study sought to examine the relationships between
ginseng intake and
cancer incidence in the Kangwha cohort.
METHODS:
Between March 1985 and December 1999, 2697
males,
aged 55 or over, as of 1985, were followed up for their
cancer incidence. The
cancer incidence rate, standardized
incidence ratio and
risk ratios were calculated according to
ginseng intake. A Cox
proportional hazard model was used to adjust for age at entry,
smoking,
alcohol intake,
hypertension, and
body mass index. RESULTS &
CONCLUSIONS:
The
ginseng intake group had the same
cancer (C00-C97)
incidences (Standardized
Incidence Ratio SIR=1.11, 95%
Confidence Interval = 0.97-1.27) and the same
risk ratio (RR=1.09, 95%
Confidence Interval = 0.85-1.41) as the no-intake group. Analyzing the subjects that had followed up from 1990, however, the
ginseng intake group had lower
cancer incidences at all sites (RR = 0.79, 95%
Confidence Interval = 0.58-1.09). This was a
cohort study to try and evaluate the
association between
ginseng intake and the
incidences of
cancer. The results of this study provide no clear conclusions on the
cancer preventive effects of
ginseng. Therefore, further study is needed in the
future.