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Smoking, alcohol consumption linked to cancer risk

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AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research

Researchers from the Netherlands have found an association between cigarette smoking and alcohol consumptions and certain esophageal and stomach cancers.

“In the last three decades, the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and of the gastric cardia has risen strongly in the United States and also in other Western countries,” Jessie Steevens, MSc, of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, said during a press conference.

Steevens and colleagues conducted a cohort study, which began in 1986, that included 120,852 residents of the Netherlands. Participants were healthy at baseline. After 16 years of follow-up, the researchers identified 120 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 168 of esophageal adenocarcinoma and 187 of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.

The researchers reported a dose-response relationship between alcohol and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; those drinking four glasses of alcohol had a risk for cancer that was five-times greater than those who did not drink.

The RR for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on alcohol consumption was 1.30 per 10 g ethanol per day increment (95% CI, 1.20-1.42). RR for esophageal adenocarcinoma was 1.00 per 10 g ethanol per day increment (95% CI, 0.90-1.12) and RR for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma was 0.98 per 10 g ethanol per day increment (95% CI, 0.89-1.08).

Former and current smokers had a increased risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, but their risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was highest (see table).

Smoking frequency was associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma, independent of smoking status and duration, according to the researchers.

“These results confirm the idea that indeed these different subtypes of these cancers have different risk factors and should be seen as different diseases,” Steevens said. – by Stacey L. Adams

For more information:

• Steevens J. #A99. Presented at: AACR Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontier in Cancer Prevention Research; Nov. 16-18, 2008; Washington D.C.