Based on the observations that both carotenoids and components of the IGF system have beenfound to be associated with cancer risk in some studies and potential associations betweenlycopene, as the most abundant carotenoid, and the IGF system in in vitro andin vivo studies, it was the aim of our study to examine the associationsbetween circulating levels of carotenoids and fruit and vegetable consumption and serumconcentrations of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and their molar ratio in a cross-sectional US study. This evidence concerns the gene IGF1 and cancer.