Constipation, laxative use and risk of colorectal cancer: The Miyagi Cohort Study

• Published in: European journal of cancer (1990) Vol. 40; no. 14; pp. 2109 - 2115
• Main Authors: Watanabe, T., Nakaya, N., Kurashima, K., Kuriyama, S., Tsubono, Y., Tsuji, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cathartics - adverse effects; Cathartics - therapeutic use; Colonic Neoplasms - etiology; Colorectal cancer; Constipation; Constipation - complications; Constipation - drug therapy; Epidemiologic Methods; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Laxative use; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prospective cohort study; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors; Laxative use; Constipation; Prospective cohort study; Colorectal cancer; Rectal disease; Laxative; Pharmacology; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Colonic disease; Cancerology; Cohort study; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease
• ISSN: 0959-8049; 1879-0852
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2004.06.014

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between constipation or laxative use and the risk of colorectal cancer in Japanese men and women. In 1990, we delivered a self-administered questionnaire to 41
670 subjects who were 40–64 years old. During the seven years of follow-up, 251 incident cases of colorectal cancer were documented. Constipation was defined as a bowel movement frequency of less than daily. The multivariate relative risk (RR) of colorectal cancer for constipated subjects compared with those with daily bowel movements was 1.35 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.99–1.84). The RR for laxative users over non-users was 1.31 (0.88–1.95), and for frequent users (twice a week or more) it was 2.75 (1.48–5.09). When colorectal cancers were divided into colon cancers or rectal cancers, a significant association was found with colon cancer alone. Our results support the hypothesis that constipation or laxative use increases the risk of colon cancer.